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“They Know I Stand for Something Bigger”: Kyrie Irving Issues an Apology on the Eve of Making Reported Return for the Nets

Published 11/19/2022, 10:23 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is expected to return to the court soon, after being suspended for at least five games. Before returning, he once again apologized and expressed his sentiments in front of the entire world. Irving explained his actions in an interview with SNY, after having shared a link to a film containing antisemitic material that sparked outrage and controversy for the player.

Throughout this incident, Irving seldom spoke about his actions. First, when confronted by a reporter about promoting a film. Irving seemed to have no issues posting about the film and stated, “I just put stuff out there as you did.” On October 29, he stated that he never intended to disrespect any community. After being suspended by the Brooklyn Nets on November 3rd, Irving made an apology on Instagram. But, in all of the foregoing appearances, Irving never said that he was sorry at the time.

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Irving is expected to return to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. So, before returning, it seems Irving wanted to speak about his actions and felt happy for the opportunity to explain himself.

Kyrie Irving realized the power of his voice

Kyrie Irving was given six tasks to complete before making his comeback to the court by the Nets’ front office. Some of the tasks were meeting with members of the Jews community, meeting the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, and Brooklyn Nets owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai. And it seems like Irving has completed the tasks. In the interview with SNY, he said, “I don’t have hate in my heart for the Jewish people or anyone that identifies as a Jew.” 

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Furthermore, he spoke about the allegation of being called anti-Jewish. He said that he is not anti-Jewish. He then spoke about the difficulties he faced through the days, sitting with his family at home and seeing all the allegations about him. The most difficult aspect for him was convincing himself that he was not the person shown in the media. He added, “I know who I am, and I know what I represent.” 

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However, as a result of the controversy, he realized the power of his voice and the influence he had on people. He then apologized to the Jewish community and his family members. And he ended it by saying, “They know I stand for something bigger.”

Irving could make his return to the court on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, after having missed eight games so far due to the suspension.

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How do you think the NBA world will welcome Kyrie Irving on his return? Do tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Written by:

Ritesh Jha

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Ritesh Jha is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Technology in Computer Science from Rungta College. Ritesh worked as an intern content writer for a digital marketing agency called KCAS Branding before joining EssentiallySports.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani