Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai is not happy with his star guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving has a well-established history as what might be described as “free thinking.” On Thursday, he added to that unique history when he took time to show support for a documentary film based on a controversial 2015 book. Irving sent out a tweet that seemed to back the Ronald Dalton, Jr. film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America."
The tweet is problematic because the film pushes several antisemitic tropes and supports ideas shared by extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites. The group has a long history of homophobia, xenophobia and, of course, antisemitism. Rolling Stone reported all the ways in which the movie is problematic.
That support of the controversial film got the seven-time All-Star in hot water with Tsai.
In a tweet of his own on Friday night, Tsai admitted disappointment in Irving's decision to throw his support behind a film that promotes “hurtful” notions.
The topic of antisemitism has jumped to the forefront of the sports world recently after comments made by hip-hop superstar Ye (formerly Kanye West). Ye has several links to the sports world, and he saw many of those ties cut after his recent controversial social media posts on Jewish Americans.
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