When asked about the backlash he's received since sharing a controversial post that ultimately generated a statement from Joe Tsai and the NBA, Kyrie Irving told the whole back story on how he stumbled across the film in question.
Explaining that he was Googling the origin of his name, which led him to this film, Irving said he was not online searching up antisemitic content to share with his followers. Instead, Irving said he was doing what he frequently does, which is try to educate and uplift his community. As for the backlash specifically, Irving had some in-depth thoughts.
"In terms of the backlash or what people call it, we're in 2022, history is not supposed to be hidden from anybody," Irving told reporters. "I'm not a divisive person when it comes to religion. I embrace all walks of life, you see it on all my platforms. I talk to all races, all cultures, all religions."
When asked if he watched the film in question, Irving confirmed that he had. When asked if after watching the film he understands why some believe it contains antisemitic content, Irving gave a less direct answer.
"We're in 2022. It's on Amazon, a public platform," Irving said. "Whether you wanna go watch it or not is up to you. There's things being posted every day. I am no different than the next human being, so don't treat me any different."
Before moving on from the topic, Irving engaged in a heated exchange with one reporter who was trying to get him to answer a question he would not answer:
It is safe to say that this postgame media session from Irving did not do much to put this noise in the past, as there will now be much more to discuss.
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