Nets GM Sean Marks Breaks Silence on Possible Kyrie Irving Suspension

Getty General Manager Sean Marks of the Brooklyn Nets speaks at the podium during a press conference at Brooklyn Nets Media Day at HSS Training Center on September 26, 2022

When parting ways with your head coach hours before a game and reports that the coach already chosen to replace the now-fired head coach is a guy currently serving a team-issued year-long extension isn’t the most dramatic thing going on in your season, it’s clear your team is in trouble. That’s the situation the Brooklyn Nets find themselves in. They just fired Steve Nash. Ime Udoka has been reported to be next in line, with a decision coming in the next day or so. And still, the most dramatic thing with the current Nets team is Kyrie Irving. 

Irving made the news late last week when he shared a link to the 2018 film “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” which is filled with anti-Semitic and Anti-Black tropes, according to an article written by Rolling Stone. The move was condemned by the Nets and Joe Tsai. The NBA publicly denounced hate speech, but no suspension was issued. 

Sean Marks on Potential Kyrie Irving Suspension

Nets general manager Sean Marks addressed the media on Tuesday in a press conference to discuss the firing of Nash, and in it faced questions about Kyrie Irving and what the team will decide to do moving forward, and if he will possibly face a suspension. 

“As I mentioned before, we’re talking to the ADL right now. That’s on the Joe Tsai level, our CEO and myself and the group, and really just trying to weigh out exactly what the best course of action is here. Part of it is going to be getting sides together so they can understand where people are coming from. There’s an education piece for everybody here. There’s an empathetic piece to this and understanding that we need to move on and we need to do the right thing without a doubt,” Marks said at the press conference on Tuesday.

The fact that it has been days, and the team and NBA have both released statements that it was wrong but have not issued a suspension makes the possibility feel unlikely. Irving has refused to apologize for the promotion and calls concerns that he is antisemitic “not justified.” He argued with the media about the promotion of the film and other conspiracies he sides with, shared by Alex Jones, and seemingly doubled down on his position. But no suspension. 

Marks on Possible Irving Punishment

Not only has Irving gone unpunished, he also hasn’t had to speak to the media in the last two days. Not speaking to the media during media availability is a violation of league rules, but Marks insists that the team will continue to do so to not cause a “fuss.”

“We have tried to do a little bit of both to be honest. By keeping him — he did not do media last night, he’s not going to do media tonight. At some point he will come up here and do media again, but I think at this point it’s, we don’t want to cause more fuss right now, more interaction with people. Like, let’s let him simmer down and let’s let this whole, I guess let’s let cooler minds prevail. We need to go out and educate ourselves, educate the whole group and get some direction, seek from the experts, and the experts is one of them, is certainly the ADL,” Marks continued. 

Marks and the Nets appear to be giving Irving a break from the media and having to be accountable for his decisions to give him time to “simmer down,” which again suggests a lack of remorse from the Nets’ point guard. While they say they are looking into possible punishments, his comments seem to suggest more that they are just hoping to wait it out for this to all go away. So far, the NBA hasn’t announced a suspension or even fines for violating the league’s media rules which suggest it isn’t a franchise-only decision to allow Irving to get away without addressing his latest controversy.