Nike and the NBA Indefinitely Suspend Superstar, Kyrie Irivng for Anti-Semitism

Kyrie Irving defends himself to the press following the anti-semetic documentary he posted to his Twitter. Source for image: The Comeback

Kyrie Irving, an NBA (National Basketball Association) superstar, has captivated the hearts and attention of many basketball fans ever since he was drafted from Duke University in the 2011 NBA draft. He has enjoyed immense career success starting with his Rookie of the Year honors and culminating in seven all-star selections and a championship ring, which he won in 2016. His on the court success has translated to off the court success as well. He was able to receive sponsorships from a variety of companies, such as Nike, Pepsi, and 2k Sports, that have allowed him to be an influential and prevalent figure in the basketball world. Apart from his lucrative deals, he has also been very charitable, starting his own foundation, the K.A.I. foundation, as well as partnering with 9 different charities, such as Feed America over the course of his career. He is also notably a big proponent of the WNBA and women's sports in general, as he donated a staggering $1.5 million to the league when they were facing financial struggles following the 2020 COVID outbreak. 

For years, he was a beloved player in the league, known for his flair and dribbling abilities as well as an out-there personality that made him even more intriguing. He has garnered national media attention countless times, such as his game clinching three-pointer over Stephen Curry in the 2016 NBA finals, or his odd claim that the Earth was flat back in 2018. Throughout his career, he has been no stranger to headlines, despite his apparent disdain for the news media, a sentiment that he has expressed numerous times, even referring to them as “pawns” in a 2020 rant. In fact, last year Kyrie captured national headlines for months when he refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, despite his inability to play home games due to New York State laws. This decision essentially kept him out for the season except in games that were in states with looser pandemic laws. Ultimately New York changed their laws and he was able to play out a few home games towards the end of the season, but nonetheless the damage had been done and his reputation has been murky ever since. His latest headline will only further reinforce the already muddled public opinion of the star player. 

On October 27th, Irving shared a tweet to his Twitter account of 4.6 million followers that contained hurtful material. The tweet in question was link to a documentary on the streaming service, Amazon Prime, titled “Hebrews to Negro: Wake up Black America.” The film, based on a book with the same name, is associated with extremist views from the Black Hebrew Israelite movement. The film promotes numerous anti-Semetic messages and misinformation surrounding the Jewish community. One claim made throughout the film and the crux of the documentary is that the modern day and historical Jewish peoples are not actually the children of Israel but rather invaders that both forced blacks out of Israel as well as assisted in perpetrating the Atlantic Slave Trade. Furthermore, it also shares false information centered around the Holocaust which it claims is fake, as well as further misinformation about the Jewish communities in America. 

Once Irving shared this documentary, social media went into a frenzy and numerous people were quick to call the superstar out. The NBA and the Brooklyn Nets were some of the quickest to respond, with both posting statements in which they condemned the messages in the film as well as the dissemination of misinformation and hateful material. The backlash lasted for a few days and the general public awaited action to be taken by either the League or the team regarding Kyrie’s roles in the organizations. In the days following, Kyrie was promptly suspended by both the team and the League for a minimum of five games, with the Nets saying that he was “currently unfit to be associated with the team.” Simultaneously, he was also indefinitely suspended by the sportswear company Nike, whom he had a signature sneaker deal with. The release of his upcoming shoe, the Kyrie 8, was also suspended following Nike’s announcement. Eventually, on November 4th, Irving issued a formal apology statement posted to his Instagram in which he stated he was both sorry and taking responsibility for the words and messages he was helping promote.

This was far from the first time an athlete received public backlash due to statements they made, which resulted in them either getting dropped from their sport or their sponsors. Examples of this can be seen with figures such as Lance Armstrong, who lost eight brand deals as well as lifetime ban from professional cycling following his admission to doping throughout his career in 2012. Another notable offense was Tiger Woods, who lost deals in 2009 after a car crash near his home that was under questionable circumstances as well as a cheating scandal that ended in his divorce. He lost an estimated 30% of his income from 2009-2010 as a result of the scandals. Other notable examples include the Maria Sharipova doping incident as well as Michael Vick’s animal abuse charges, which resulted in both of them getting dropped from their sponsors. 

While there have been countless examples of athletes getting dropped from their sponsors, whether it be from cheating or from legal incidents, the Kyrie Irving situation is unique. Never before has an athlete been “canceled” for posting hateful and anti-Semetic material. There have been countless League suspensions due to violation of conduct or legal affairs; however, there was only one previous instance of a player using hate speech. Last year, Meyers Leonard, a player for the Miami Heat, was cut from the team for using an anti-Semitic slur on his livestream. The backlash was considerable and he promptly apologized – although he never made another NBA roster. Leonard, however, while often considered a role player that could be a key piece on a team, was never the superstar that Irving is. The League is certainly in unchartered territory in handling the situation and many thought that the response was appropriate; however, there were also those that thought the persecution Irving went a too far, especially after his formal apology. LeBron James, largely considered to be one of the most important voices in the sport, recently commented on the situation and the treatment of Irving following the incident. In a tweet from November 10th, LeBron acknowledged that Kyrie spread hurtful material which he condemned, but also suggested the League and the media had been too harsh on him after he apologized. Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL player and Hall of Famer, also chimed in calling out the press for continuing to harass Irving regarding the situation after he had issued an apology. 

The situation calmed down in the past week after Irving’s apology and the calls for forgiveness coming from other athletes in and around the sport. However, this situation truly was unprecedented and unlike any other athlete suspension from the past. It remains to be seen if another problem such as this one arises with Irving, or any other player across professional sports. The NBA and the Brooklyn Nets were able to lay out the groundwork for how situations such as these may play out in the future – however and whenever they may arise.