Nets' Joe Tsai Met with Kyrie Irving, 'Clear' He Doesn't Have Antisemitic Beliefs

Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai said Friday that he met with guard Kyrie Irving amid his suspension for promoting a movie on social media that includes antisemitic viewpoints.

Tsai tweeted that it's "clear" Irving doesn't have any hatred toward Jewish people and that he, Irving, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are working toward "a process of forgiveness, healing and education."

The NBPA seconded Tsai regarding a plan to achieve "forgiveness, understanding and healing" for Irving and everyone involved:

Irving initially didn't apologize when asked by the media about tweeting the link, which led the Nets to suspend him for at least five games.

In a statement, the Nets said they were "dismayed" Irving "refused to unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film."

Irving eventually apologized in an Instagram post, calling the antisemitic narratives in the movie "false."

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that the Nets laid out six steps Irving would have to go through in order to be reinstated:

Among the steps was to meet with Tsai and "demonstrate understanding" for why he was wrong.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish, told Sopan Deb of the New York Times on Thursday that he met with Irving and doesn't believe he is antisemitic, though Silver added, "Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content."

The 30-year-old Irving has served four games of his suspension, meaning he could be in line to rejoin the team for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after sitting for a fifth consecutive game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Aside from Kevin Durant, Irving is the Nets' most important player, and he has been productive this season, averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in eight games.

If and when Irving does return, it should provide a huge boost to a 5-7 Nets team that is looking to get back on track and into championship contention.