Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets will each donate $500,000 following his controversial post on Twitter about a film with anti-Semitic themes, reports Yahoo Sports.
Irving acknowledged the harm his post caused the Jewish community without offering an apology in the joint statement.
“I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day,” Irving's statement reads. “I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility.”
"I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles,” he continued. “I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race, or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light.”
"There is no room for antisemitism, racism, false narratives or misguided attempts to create animosity and hate," Sam Zussman, CEO of BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center, said in the joint statement. "Now, more than ever, there is a pressing need to ensure education in these areas. We are putting our prior statements into practice because actions speak louder than words."
Last week, Irving shared a link on Twitter, about the film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which is said to be filled with anti-Jewish sentiments. At a news conference on Saturday, Irving defended his position, saying that he wouldn't "stand down" on his beliefs.
“Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody?” Irving asked reporters regarding his now-deleted tweet. “Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people?”
During the press conference, he was also asked about previous posts he tweeted from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones who was ordered to pay almost $1 billion in damages after losing a lawsuit for claiming that the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting was a hoax.
“That was a few weeks ago,” Irving said. “I do not stand with Alex Jones’ position or narrative about the court case that he had with Sandy Hook, or any of the kids that felt like they had to relive trauma or parents that had to relive trauma or to be dismissive to all the lives that were lost during that tragic event. My post was a post from Alex Jones that he did in the early ’90s or late ’90s about secret societies and American cults, and it’s true. So I wasn’t identifying with anything … for Alex Jones, it’s just there to post.”
Irving has not spoken publicly since Saturday night.
