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Former Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving continues to get an earful from people around the NBA. Following a controversial tweet made by Irving — which he has since taken down — and an intense exchange with reporter Nick Friedell, NBA Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal did not mince words when talking about Irving’s latest actions.
Before the Brooklyn Nets took on the Chicago Bulls on November 1, Barkley and O’Neal gave their thoughts on Irving’s actions. Barkley said he believes the NBA was too easy on Irving.
“I think the NBA dropped the ball,” Barkley said on “TNT Tip-Off.” “I think [Irving] should have been suspended. I think Adam [Silver] should have suspended him. First of all, Adam’s Jewish. You can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion. You’re going to insult me, you have the right, but I have the right to say, ‘No, you’re not going to take my $40 million and insult my religion.'”
Barkley added that he thinks Irving’s promoting one of Alex Jones’ theories also warranted punishment.
“I think him acknowledging the Alex Jones thing, something should have happened with that, too, because that dude’s crazy. I can’t believe that we ain’t talking about that. We’re talking about this idiot,” Barkley said.
O’Neal’s Thoughts on Irving’s Actions
O’Neal, also speaking on “TNT Tip-Off,” said he thinks Irving should be more aware of what he posts on social media and the impact it might have, adding that he realized back in the early days of Twitter how powerful it can be when you’re a public figure.
“I was probably one of the first guys on Twitter, and when I realized the power it had, I knew I had to be very responsible,” O’Neal said. “You have to be aware of what you’re doing. You have to be aware that what you put stuff out, not everybody’s going to like it. Some people are conscious. Some people are not. I can tell he’s not conscious. He doesn’t really care what’s going on.”
O’Neal said Irving’s actions hurt people like him when he tries to promote basketball as a way of unifying everyone.
“I know that the game that we used to love when we promote, it brings people together. It hurts me sometimes when we have to talk about stuff that divides the game. That we gotta answer for what this idiot has done,” he said. “I stand for the equality of all people. I’ve always been like that. It don’t matter what religion. It don’t matter where you from.”
Richard Jefferson’s Thoughts on Irving’s Actions
During the YES broadcast of the Nets game on October 29, ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson, who played with Irving from 2015 to 2017, gave his thoughts on the controversy surrounding his former teammate.
“It is disappointing. Kyrie says that he’s not antisemitic and these things, but the tweet is still up. The tweet is still up there. Kyrie also, earlier in the summer, posted Alex Jones, who basically tortured a bunch of families here locally in Connecticut after the Sandy Hook tragedy. He was torturing those families and Kyrie reposted a video from this man,” Jefferson said.
Much like O’Neal, Jefferson said Irving has to be cautious of what he puts out on his platform.
“You have to understand how you use your social media has affects,” Jefferson said. “It can affect people. If you’re insensitive to that, then you are truly endorsing it. So, to say that, and not take (the tweet) down, to repost Alex Jones, you are endorsing them and you are giving your platform of people and its millions upon millions of followers an endorsement. You are saying look at this individual or look at this movie. Those things have effects, and people need to understand that.”
Irving has not spoken to the media since October 29.
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