LeBron James is urging NBA officials to relent and permit embattled NBA superstar Kyrie Irving to play in the league again.
Some basketball pundits as well as an anonymous NBA general manager wondered aloud if the ultra-talented Irving will ever return to the hardwood. The 30-year-old basketball star was banished from the NBA indefinitely after he posted a brazenly antisemitic movie, From Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black People, on his Twitter platform.
After he was called out for it, Irving not only refused to apologize initially but he doubled down on what the movie stood for.
The Nets and the NBA, acquiescing to intense public pressure, suspended Irving for at least five games. The suspension will be longer if Irving does not complete an arduous six-step process that includes counseling, exemplifying contrition and other mandatory actions.
King James, who came out and criticized Irving for spreading hateful material, was nevertheless supportive of his former teammate getting back to play with the Nets. James and Irving won an NBA championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
💭 I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I’ll continue to be that way but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn- but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 10, 2022
Responses to LBJ were mixed, with some saying that James is flip-flopping while others believe that Irving deserves a second chance after apologizing.
