Kyrie Irving defends himself after receiving backlash for supporting anti-semitic film / News - Basketnews.com

Kyrie Irving responded to the criticism he received after showing support for an anti-semitic film.

Credit: AFP-Scanpix Credit AFP-Scanpix

Earlier this week,Kyrie Irving tweeted and posted on Instagram an Amazon link for a 2018 film, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America", which caused an uproar in response, includingan article by Rolling Stone that points out the film has been widely considered to be anti-semitic.

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The movie, which was released in 2018, is based on a 2015 book by the same name. The whole idea behind this is that Black people actually have Jewish roots themselves and are, in fact, the "chosen people of God" as opposed to Jews of European descent. The doc Kyrie promoted reportedly spreads conspiracy theories, including the claim that "white Jews" perpetuated the slave trade and are in control of the media/banking industries.

Brooklyn Netsowner Joe Tsai condemned Kyrie's tweet as hate-fueled, writing on Twitter:

"I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion."

"The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech," the team said in a statement on Friday. "We believe that in these situations, our first action must be open, honest dialogue. We thank those, including the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), who have been supportive during this time."

In response to this controversial promotion, Irving has earned the label of being anti-semitic.

Irving defended himself Saturday, saying he meant no disrespect to anyone's religious beliefs and adding that "the 'Anti-Semitic' label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in every day. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions," he wrote on Twitter.

The NBA hasn't publicly addressed the controversy yet.

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