Kyrie Irving #
Introduction #
Kyrie Irving, a star point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, was suspended by his own team in November 2022 after he shared a link to a film widely described as containing antisemitic material. The episode cost him games, his signature shoe deal with Nike, and standing with the league and his own franchise. It marked the most serious turn yet in a career that has repeatedly mixed championship-level play with off-court controversy.
Background Information #
Irving entered the NBA as one of the most celebrated young guards of his era and won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He later played for the Boston Celtics and joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, where he was expected to help lead the franchise alongside Kevin Durant.
Long before the 2022 incident, Irving was known for polarizing moments, most prominently his 2017 comments questioning whether the Earth is flat, which drew widespread ridicule and made him a recurring subject of public debate. Even so, he remained one of the league’s most skilled offensive players and a regular presence at All-Star games. The flat-earth episode foreshadowed a pattern in which his public statements at times drew as much attention as his play on the court.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #
On October 27, 2022, Irving tweeted a link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a documentary widely described as containing antisemitic material.
When pressed at a press conference on November 1, he declined to say he had anything to apologize for, describing the post as an effort to raise awareness. His comments were condemned by the NBA, Jewish organizations, and his own team.
On November 3, the Nets suspended Irving for at least five games, saying he was “unfit to associate with the Brooklyn Nets” over his failure to “disavow” antisemitism. The team said it had given him opportunities to clearly disavow antisemitism and that he had not taken them. At the same time, Nike suspended its relationship with Irving and canceled plans for his next signature shoe — a line that had been a major seller for the brand.
Public Reaction and Consequences #
The reaction was swift and widespread. The NBA publicly condemned antisemitism, Jewish organizations denounced Irving’s promotion of the film, and commentators across the sports world criticized his refusal to apologize. The Nets’ decision to suspend a star player, and the unusually strong language in the team’s statement, made the episode one of the defining sports stories of that fall. In the months that followed, it also became part of a wider national conversation about antisemitism.
Irving eventually apologized in a social media post and later in a televised interview, and he returned to the Nets after serving the suspension. He later served an additional suspension imposed by the NBA over a related promotion, extending the controversy well beyond the initial incident.
Current Status #
Irving returned to the Nets but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023. The move paired him with fellow All-Star guard Luka Dončić, and Irving signed an extension with Dallas, where he has continued to perform at an All-Star level.
Per reports, in 2025 Nike and Irving reached a new signature-shoe deal, ending the split that began with the 2022 controversy. The agreement marked a reconciliation between the player and the brand that had cut ties with him at the height of the backlash.
Impact on Their Career/Life #
The suspension cost Irving games and a lucrative endorsement relationship with Nike, and the episode hardened his public reputation as one of the NBA’s most polarizing figures. His promotion of the film and his initial refusal to apologize became a defining chapter in how he is discussed as a public figure.
At the same time, the controversy did not end his career. He rebounded as an All-Star in Dallas, and per reports, his relationship with Nike was eventually restored.
The episode left a complicated legacy: a championship-caliber guard whose talent has repeatedly shared the spotlight with controversy, and whose 2022 cancellation became one of the most prominent examples of an athlete facing consequences for what he shared online. His reported reunion with Nike suggested that even the sharpest public break could be walked back in time.