After the promotion that the point guard made on his social networks in an anti-Semitic movie, the company decided to remove the sponsorship that they had maintained since he entered the North American League.
- Kyrie Irving again in the eye of the storm for ‘advertising’ a movie with anti-Semitic content
Nike announced that it has suspended its sponsorship relationship with Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets point guard who last week promoted a movie with anti-Semitic content on his social networks.
“At Nike we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism,” the company said in a statement picked up by US media.
“We have made the decision to end our relationship with Kyrie Irving immediately and will no longer be releasing the Kyrie 8. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by this situation and the impact it has had on all of us.”
Nike signed Irving in 2011, the year he made his NBA debut as the number one draft pick, and launched its first shoe line dedicated to the point guard in 2014.
Irving, who was suspended by the Nets and paid at least five games, finally apologized Thursday night after days of constant avoidance and verbal abuse over the controversy. “To all the Jewish families and communities who were hurt and affected by my post, I am deeply sorry for the pain you have caused and I apologize,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I want to clear up any confusion about where I stand in the fight against anti-Semitism (…). I do not intend to ignore Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hatred,” said the point guard, who admitted that the controversial documentary contained “false and anti-Semitic statements, narratives and language” that were “offensive” to Jews.
In announcing Irving’s suspension, the Nets said they made “repeated attempts” to work with Irving to “understand the harm and danger of his words and actions, beginning with his advertising of a film containing strong anti-Semitic hatred.” disturbing” .
“We are saddened that today (Thursday), when he had the opportunity in the media, Kyrie refused to state unequivocally that he has no anti-Semitic beliefs nor does he acknowledge the specific hate material in the film. No this is the first time there was an opportunity – and it was wasted – to clean it up,” the team added.
Cover photo: Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
Source: Tycsports
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
