- Kyrie Irving promoted a documentary on social media last week that contains many antisemitic tropes.
- He stuck with his posts before apologizing Wednesday night for sharing the film.
The Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving plans to donate $500,000 to anti-hate organizations after he shared a 2018 documentary that relies on conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes, the Nets said Wednesday.
In what the team called a joint statement from Irving, the Nets, and the Anti-Defamation League — an organization that combats antisemitism — Irving appeared to walk back his promotion of the film.
"I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day," Irving said in the statement. "I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility."
The statement said Irving and the Nets planned to each donate half a million dollars "toward causes and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance in our communities."
A representative for the Nets didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
On October 27, Irving took to Instagram and Twitter to share a documentary that contained antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, including the claim that Jewish people worship Satan, according to Rolling Stone.
The Nets' owner, Joe Tsai, condemned the post, writing on Twitter that he was "disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation."
Facing instant backlash, Irving initially doubled down on his statement and said he was "not going to stand down on anything I believe in."
But on Wednesday, he changed course.
"I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles," he said. "I am a human being learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a willingness to listen. So from my family and I, we meant no harm to any one group, race, or religion of people, and wish to only be a beacon of truth and light."
Sam Zussman, the CEO of BSE Global, the parent company of the Nets and Barclays Center, also said in the statement that "there is no room for antisemitism, racism, false narratives or misguided attempts to create animosity and hate."