National Basketball Players Association Vice President Jaylen Brown referred to as the character of the eight-game suspension the Nets handed Kyrie Irving in November “unjust,” and mentioned it violated the NBA’s collective bargaining settlement.”
“That’s my job as vice president of the union,” Brown mentioned in an interview with The Ringer’s Logan Murdock. “The union is supposed to be an entity to protect the players, especially their rights and their freedom of speech. I feel like what the Brooklyn Nets did — I still feel the same way — it was inappropriate. I think it was like a public ransom note almost, in a sense, where he had a list of demands he had to do to return to the game. It was a violation of our CBA. It’s a violation of our agreement and kind of got looked over like it was nothing.”
The Nets suspended Irving a complete of eight video games for “failure to disavow antisemitism” after the star guard posted a hyperlink to a movie extensively thought of antisemitic on each his Instagram and Twitter feeds in late October. The suspension got here after Irving opted to not provide an apology for posting the movie on two separate events — most notably explaining “I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from” — when pressed by reporters.
Shortly after the suspension got here down, nevertheless, each The Athletic and ESPN reported Irving needed to fulfill six benchmarks to return to the court docket after the group deemed the star guard “unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
Those benchmarks included a public apology, a $500,000 donation to anti-hate causes, sensitivity and antisemitic/anti-hate coaching, assembly with the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish leaders in Brooklyn, and assembly with Nets proprietor Joe Tsai.
Brown mentioned he doesn’t agree with the content material of the movie Irving shared. The two have historical past relationship again to their time as teammates on the Celtics after Irving requested a commerce from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.
“Kyrie is one of those people who isn’t afraid of being wrong,” Brown mentioned. “He isn’t afraid of being embarrassed. He’s not afraid of big moments either, doing great things. He’s one of those people that’s special. We see him at the top of the world, and we see him make some mistakes as well. But I appreciate the fact that the fear factor for him, even though he might have been afraid, didn’t stop him from doing or saying what he felt was right, for what he felt he needed to do. And that doesn’t exist in 99 percent of people. So, people can say what they want about Kyrie Irving, but he’s definitely my friend.”
Irving informed The Ringer Brown was one in all few individuals who stood by his aspect when he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the group.
“He was one of the main ones that really stood beside me and was 10 toes with me and just telling me like, ‘You know, it’s going to be alright. There’s a peace of mind at the end of the road, but I want to let you know that you’re not alone in this,’” Irving mentioned.
Irving is now not with the Nets after forcing a commerce to the Dallas Mavericks two days forward of the NBA Trade Deadline, a transfer that blindsided the group and slammed their championship window shut, forcing the group to commerce Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns shortly after.
It stays unclear if the NBPA plans to take any motion within the aftermath of Irving’s suspension and departure from Brooklyn, however one factor’s for positive: Brown isn’t accomplished speaking about it.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com