According to a report, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving may return to the team as early as the Sunday game against the Grizzlies.
The team has confirmed that Irving won’t play Thursday as the Nets face the Trail Blazers. Still, it is reported that he has nearly completed fulfilling the six conditions the team placed on him to facilitate his return to play, according to the New York Post.
Thursday’s game will be the eighth game that Irving has missed due to his suspension over acts of perceived antisemitism.
Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving speaks before the team’s NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 19, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
“Kyrie is continuing his journey of dialogue and education,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio told ESPN. “He has been grappling with the full weight of the impact of his voice and actions, particularly in the Jewish community. Kyrie rejects antisemitism in any form, and he’s dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding. He plans to continue this journey well into the future to ensure that his words and actions align with his pursuit of truth and knowledge.”
“I think overall [general manager Sean Marks is] in constant communication with the league and [Nets owner] Joe Tsai, and will fill me in on a kind of need basis,” coach Jacque Vaughn said on Wednesday, the Post said. “I checked in with him [Tuesday], told him shootaround was great. Ready to coach this group. And that’s kind of where we leave it. [Marks] tells me when he has an update he will let me know.”
Nets owner Joe Tsai has taken criticism of his own for his constant attacks on Irving even as he continues to support the genocidal Chinese regime. Player’s union official and Celtics player Jaylen Brown recently blasted Tsai for his hypocrisy.
Joe Tsai, co-founder and executive vice chairman of Alibaba Group, speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference on October 18, 2021, in Beverly Hills, California. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Irving was suspended on Nov. 3 for what was at first said to be a five-day period for refusing to categorically say he stands against antisemitism. The suspension came on the heels of a tweet he posted touting a movie based on an antisemitic book.
However, days later, the team added that Irving would have to meet six conditions to return to the team, hinting that his suspension could last longer than five games.
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