Comment After a weeklong story involving interventions from the Anti-Defamation League and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five games without pay on Thursday, deeming the all-star guard “currently unfit to be associated”. with the organization following his repeated refusals to apologize for a social media post about an anti-Semitic film and book. Irving, who agreed Wednesday to donate $500,000 to support anti-hate causes in partnership with the ADL, said he “took responsibility” for the post but did not apologize when he met with reporters Thursday afternoon. “Over the past few days, we have made repeated efforts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, which began with the release of a video that contained deeply disturbing anti-Semitic hate speech,” the statement said. Nets. statement. “We believed that taking the path of education in this challenging situation would be the right thing to do, and we believed that we had made progress with our shared commitment to end hate and intolerance. A former team psychologist is suing the Spurs for ignoring Josh Primo’s complaints “We were disappointed today, when given the opportunity at a media briefing, that Kyrie refused to categorically say that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs, nor to acknowledge specific hateful material in the film. This was not the first time he had the opportunity — but failed — to clarify.” The Nets concluded that Irving’s refusal to “reject anti-Semitism when given a clear opportunity” was “deeply troubling” and constituted “detrimental behavior to the team.” In a message posted on Instagram late Thursday night, Irving finally backtracked and apologized “to all Jewish families and communities who were hurt and affected by my post,” acknowledging that he had linked to a film that “contained certain false anti-Semitic statements, narratives and language that was untrue and offensive.” Irving continued: “I initially reacted with emotion at being unfairly labeled as anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters who were hurt by the hateful comments made in the documentary. I want to clear up any confusion about where I stand on the fight against anti-Semitism by apologizing for publishing the documentary without context and a real explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the documentary that I agreed with.” After news of Irving’s suspension first broke, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said the nonprofit would not accept Irving’s $500,000 pledge, which was to be matched by the Nets. “We were hopeful, but after watching the debacle of a press conference, it’s clear that Kyrie feels no responsibility for his actions,” Greenblatt tweeted. “The ADL cannot in good conscience accept his donation.” Irving linked the movie “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” in a social media post last Thursday. When asked by reporters on Saturday about the content of the film and an earlier social media post about Alex Jones’ “New World Order” conspiracy theory, Irving denied being anti-Semitic but refused to apologize, arguing that “the story it is not supposed to be hidden from anyone. During the heated exchange, he said he hadn’t done anything illegal or hurt anyone. Irving added that the “New World Order” conspiracy theory was “true”. Last week, the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association, the Nets and team owner Joe Tsai issued statements against anti-Semitism. Irving eventually deleted the post without any public comment, and a group of eight fans sat courtside at the Nets’ win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday wearing T-shirts that read “Fight Anti-Semitism.” In a joint statement with the Nets and the ADL on Wednesday, Irving said he was “aware of the negative impact my post had on the Jewish community” and “didn’t mean any harm.” But Silver felt that was not a sufficient response for Irving’s “reckless decision” to be associated with the film. The commissioner said in a statement Thursday that he was “disappointed” that Irving did not issue an “unreserved apology” or “denounce the vile and harmful content contained in the film.” When Irving had another chance to clarify his stance Thursday afternoon, he again refused to apologize. “Where were you when I was a kid discovering that 300 million of my ancestors are buried in America? Where did you ask these same questions when I was a child and engaged in learning about the traumatic events of my family history and where I am proud to come from and why I am proud to stand here? When I reiterate that I’m not going to quit, it’s not about rejecting any other race and group of people,” Irving said. “I’m proud of my heritage and what we’ve been through. The fact that this has pitted me against the Jewish community, and I’m here answering questions about whether or not I’m sorry for something I didn’t create. It was something that I shared and I tell everyone that I take responsibility — that’s where I sit.” For Irving to return to court, the Nets said he must satisfy a “series of objective remedies that address the harmful effects of his conduct.” Brooklyn kicked Irving out for more than two months last season after he refused to get vaccinated, then reversed course and allowed him to return on a part-time basis in January. Irving will miss Brooklyn’s visit to the Washington Wizards on Friday and will be out until at least Nov. 12. The earliest he could return is a Nov. 13 game against the Lakers in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old, who is averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists, is making $36.9 million this season in the final year of his contract. Under NBA rules, this suspension will cost Irving at least $1.25 million in salary. Consumed by Irving’s controversial behavior and mired in a slow start, the Nets parted ways with coach Steve Nash on Tuesday. Brooklyn, which is 2-6, has explored the possibility of replacing Nash with Ime Udoka of the Boston Celtics, who is serving a one-season suspension for having an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. After Brooklyn parted ways with Nash, Irving looked unstoppable in a 108-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, shooting 2-for-12 from the field and finishing with four points, the fewest of his four-year tenure with the Nets. 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