The Anti-Defamation League doesn’t want Kyrie Irving’s money.
The Brooklyn Nets point guard was suspended by the team Thursday night for at least five games. That came after a press conference earlier in the day in which Irving, again, refused to apologize for posting about a documentary that contained anti-Semitic propaganda.
Irving said he takes “full responsibility” for sharing something that had “unfortunate falsehoods,” but declined to give a straightforward answer when asked if he has anti-Semitic beliefs.
“I respect and embrace all walks of life. I cannot be anti-Semitic if I know where I come from,” he said.
Just a day earlier, the Nets and Irving each pledged $500 thousand to the ADL, with Irving and the anti-hate group releasing a joint statement. But after Irving’s press conference Thursday, the organization decided against accepting the guard’s offer.
“After watching the debacle of a press conference, it’s clear that Kyrie feels no accountability for his actions. ADL cannot in good conscience accept his donation,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement on Twitter responding to the suspension.
Earlier in the day, Greenblatt had ripped Irving for his remarks to the media.
That is a substantial amount of money for an organization to turn down, which speaks to their clear disbelief that Irving realizes what he’s done wrong.
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