Nets star Kyrie Irving's meeting with Adam Silver reportedly 'productive'
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on from the bench during the second quarter of the game against the Chicago Bulls at Barclays Center on November 1, 2022. Credit: Getty Images/Dustin Satloff
Kyrie Irving met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver Tuesday morning, a source with knowledge of the meeting told Newsday.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that it was a “productive and understanding visit” that paved the way for the suspended guard to return to play for the Nets.
The Nets suspended Irving for at least five games without pay on Thursday, saying he was “unfit to be associated with" the team because he had declined to say whether he had antisemitic views or apologize for posting a link on Twitter to a film with hateful claims about the Jewish people.
Irving had declined to apologize despite a fierce weeklong backlash, but late Thursday night, hours after the Nets suspended him, he relented in a post on Instagram.
“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,” Irving said in the post.
On Friday morning, Nets general manager Sean Marks said there was a series of steps that Irving would have to take before rejoining the team. The conditions set by the Nets reportedly include a public apology and condemnation of the film, a $500,000 donation to anti-hate causes, sensitivity and antisemitism training, a meeting with Jewish leaders, a meeting with Silver and a meeting with team owner Joe Tsai.
The NBA players union believes that the conditions for Irving’s return are extreme and has made their opinion known to Silver.
“The terms for his return, they seem like a lot, and a lot of the players expressed discomfort with the terms,” NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown told The Boston Globe on Monday. “He made a mistake. He posted something. There was no distinction. Maybe we can move forward, but the terms in which he has to fulfill to return, I think not just speaking for me, speaking as a vice president from a lot of our players, we didn’t agree with the terms that was required for him to come back and we’re waiting for this Tuesday meeting to happen to see what comes of it.”
Irving hasn’t played since Nov. 1. The Nets (4-7) have won two of their three games without him.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
