Kevin Durant Says He Won't 'Judge' Kyrie Irving; Adds He Doesn't Condone Antisemitism

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant discussed Kyrie Irving's promotion of an antisemitic film on social media for the first time with reporters Friday, and he later clarified that he doesn't condone antisemitism.

“I’m not here to judge somebody or talk down on their life or how they feel their views," Durant initially said at a shootaround. "I just didn't like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.”

Durant later took to Twitter to clarify his remarks:

The Nets suspended Irving on Thursday after he refused to definitively say he holds no antisemitic views in a press conference earlier in the day. It was the first time Irving had spoken to media since a tense back-and-forth with a reporter, in which he defended his decision to promote a film that linked Jewish people to Satan worship.

"I'm not the one who made the documentary," Irving told reporters in the presser. He also notably did not apologize for sharing the link.

After the suspension was announced, Irving made a post on Instagram apologizing for his actions.

The team's statement announcing his suspension called Irving "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement on Thursday addressing the situation.

The NBPA, where Irving sits as a member of the executive board, released only a vague statement Tuesday condemning antisemitism that did not mention Irving by name.

There have been, as of publication, no current NBA players who have stepped up and called out Irving for what should be a straightforward issue. Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley have used their public forums to criticize Irving in recent days, but the lack of comment from current players has been noteworthy.