The 30-year-old athlete with West Orange roots retweeted a link to an anti-Semitic movie last week, and refused to apologize media session on Thursday, Nov. 3.
Irving grew up playing basketball around North Jersey, particularly in West Orange, which has a thriving Jewish community and JCC, where Irving had been known to frequent.
The Nets that day announced his five-game suspension, noting he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets." About four hours later, Irving issue an apology on Instagram.
"While doing research on YHWH, I posted a Documentary that contained some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion, and I take full accountability and responsibly for my actions," he wrote.
"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize. I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary."
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