Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters on Thursday, with the Nets likely hoping that their star point guard would end his latest self-created headache by apologizing for sharing a video rooted in antisemitism.
Instead, Irving only created more controversy.
Irving declined to apologize about the since-deleted tweet sharing the video, opting to say, “I didn’t mean to cause any harm, I’m not the one that made the documentary,” and when asked yes or no if he has anti-Semitic beliefs, didn’t exactly shoot down that idea either.
“I respect and embrace all walks of life. I cannot be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from,” Irving said.
The closest Irving came to an apology was saying “I take my full responsibility” for sharing a video that contained “some unfortunate falsehoods,” but otherwise wouldn’t back down from his stance he shared after Saturday’s loss to the Pacers.
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“I'm a beacon of light,” Irving said. “I'm not afraid of these mics, these cameras. Any label you put on me I'm able to dismiss because I study. I know the Oxford dictionary.”
In fact, Kyrie doubled down when asked if he was surprised at some of the reactions that what he did hurt people:
“I think I can ask a better question: where were you when I was a kid, figuring out that 300 million of my ancestors were buried in America, and learning about the tragic events of my familial history?” Kyrie asked. “I’m proud of my heritage and what we’ve been through, and the fact that this has pitted me against the Jewish community, and I’m answering questions about whether I’m sorry or not about something I didn’t create…that’s where I sit.
Kyrie also said “I’m not here to compare peoples’ atrocities” in that same breath.
“I’m a human being that’s 30 years old that grew up in a country that’s told me I wasn’t worth anything and I came from a slave class, and I come from a people who are treated the way we’re meant to be treated every day,” he said. “I’m here to continue to expose things that our world continues to put in darkness.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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