Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said he is proud of the former NBA players that took a stance against antisemitism amid Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving posting a link to “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” a film with many antisemitic statements.
On telecasts this week on TNT, analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller each commented on what they thought about Irving.
Barkley said the NBA should have suspended Irving.
“I think the NBA dropped the ball. First of all, Adam is Jewish,” Barkley said. “You can’t take my $40 million and insult my religion.”
“It hurts me sometimes when we have to sit up here and talk about stuff that divides the game. Now, we’ve got to answer for what this idiot has done,” O’Neal added.
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Abdul-Jabbar weighed in on his social media accounts as well.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Shaq, Charles, and Reggie for their bold and straightforward comments,” he wrote. “They are at the forefront of Black athletes that are condemning the recent antisemitic social media posts by Kyrie Irving and Ye (Kanye West). It’s a genuine ‘I am Spartacus’ moment.”
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer also said that Irving lacks “awareness of how history works.”
“It’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet from which you can pluck just the dishes you like without any understanding of the context,” he said.
Irving — who with the Nets will donate $500,000 to groups and organizations that work to eradicate hate and intolerance — has not apologized, only saying that he took responsibility for his post. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed Irving has not said he was sorry and expects to meet with him next week.
Abdul-Jabbar says despite the donation and his recent words, he doubts Irving has seen the light.
“Honestly, there’s little hope that he will change because he’s insulated by fame and money and surrounded by yes-people,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “There is no motivation to learn how to distinguish propaganda from facts. All that’s left is for the world to decide how it should respond to him.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar doubts Kyrie Irving will change despite donation
