Report: Nets' Kyrie Irving Expected to Play vs. Grizzlies After 8-Game Suspension

The Brooklyn Nets are expected to reinstate suspended point guard Kyrie Irving in time for Sunday's home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

On Nov. 3, the Nets announced that they suspended Irving for at least five games without pay because of numerous concerns that began with the seven-time All-Star promoting an antisemitic movie on social media.

Irving refused to unequivocally say that he did not hold antisemitic beliefs in ensuing conversations with the media, and he did not directly apologize for the posts, which have since been deleted.

In addition, Irving refused to respond to multiple queries from Nets governor Joe Tsai to speak about the situation, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.

The Nets decided to levy a suspension and issued six mandatory steps Irving needed to take prior to his return, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium:

Following the Nets' announcement of the suspension, Irving apologized on Instagram for promoting the movie and for his initial response to the criticism he faced:

Tsai tweeted on Nov. 11 that he and his wife, Clara, had a productive meeting with Irving and came away from the sitdown believing Irving did not harbor any feelings of hate toward Jewish people.

Irving also met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who said at the Sports Business Journal Dealmakers Conference in Washington (h/t Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press) that he did not believe the Nets star is antisemitic.

"I personally, based on what he said directly to me, have no doubt that he's not antisemitic,” Silver said. But I think there's a process that he’s going to now need to go through."

However, Silver also noted, "Whether or not he is antisemitic is not relevant to the damage caused by the posting of hateful content."

On Nov. 16, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Irving was nearing completion of the process needed for him to return to the court, to the point where he could make his comeback Sunday against the Grizzlies.

National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio issued the following statement to ESPN:

"Kyrie is continuing his journey of dialogue and education. He has been grappling with the full weight of the impact of his voice and actions, particularly in the Jewish community. Kyrie rejects antisemitism in any form, and he's dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding. He plans to continue this journey well into the future to ensure that his words and actions align with his pursuit of truth and knowledge."

Now Irving will be back after missing eight games. He's already sat seven contests, and his final matchup away from the 6-9 Nets will take place Thursday evening at the Portland Trail Blazers.

Irving has averaged 26.9 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season.