The Brooklyn Nets announced that guard Kyrie Irving was out against the 76ers on Thursday for personal reasons, and head coach Steve Nash apparently would not have led from the All-Star.
He told a news conference when he heard Irving was outside, he reached out to the 28-year-old. According to The AthleticsJoe Vardon, a source, said Irving is ‘OK’, but his timetable for return is unclear.
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. however, the events of the past 48 hours could have played a role.
On January 5, the district attorney in Kenosha County (Wisc.) Decided not to prosecute the police officer who shot Jacob Blake, which left him paralyzed. The shooting took place on August 23, 2020, three months after George Floyd was killed while being violently confined by police officers in Minneapolis.
Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world as the Black Lives Matter movement fought for racial and social justice.
This summer, Irving was reportedly against the league that would start in the bubble again amid racial injustice, leading a call of more than 80 players in June before the restart. He pleaded for players to focus on social injustices after Floyd’s death.
“I do not support entering Orlando,” he told the players, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bulls – t.”
In the aftermath of the Blake shooting, NBA and WNBA players chose not to play out of protest. Several teams, like the Milwaukee Bucks, made statements following the Kenosha news.
“The Bucks organization remains strong against the excessive use of force by law enforcement,” the statement said. As an organization, we remain strongly committed to bringing about issues of social injustice and anti-racism and to bringing about meaningful change for African Americans and all marginalized members of our community. ”
LeBron James, former teammate of Irving, spoke during the interview on Tuesday after the conversation about the prosecutor’s decision.
“Hearing what happened in Kenosha today was a blow to the heart and gut,” Said James. “Not only for that community, but also for us and for every black person who has been part of this process for so long and sees these outcomes. And not just in the black community, but also in the white community that sees moments as it happened to us, to his family, to the child himself, to see that the verdict was a blow to the bowels and a blow to the heart.
“We must continue to stay strong, continue to believe in each other and continue to strive for the greatest change and the good.”
Several NBA teams – the Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Pistons – responded on Wednesday night before and during their games.
“To be honest,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “At 30 minutes, I did not think we were going to play.”
The Miami and Boston players issued a statement before the game and knelt during the national anthem.
“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed,” read the statement. ‘The drastic difference between the way protesters were treated this past spring and summer and the encouragement given by today’s protesters who acted illegally shows just how much work we still have to do.
“We have decided to play tonight’s game to bring joy into people’s lives. But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything in our power to work for a more equal and just America. #BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER “
The Milwaukee and Detroit players walked through with the opening spot, hitting the ball off limits and kneeling as one.