Kyrie Irving Claims He Isn't 'Campaigning' For Alex Jones, Shuts Down Reporter When Asked About Allegedly 'Promoting' Anti-Semitic Film
Oct. 30 2022, Published 6:34 p.m. ET
Weeks after Kyrie Irving faced backlash for sharing a video by alt-right InfoWars host Alex Jones and seemingly promoting an anti-Semitic film, the NBA player got verbally combative with a reporter when asked to explain himself.
"I do not stand with Alex Jones' position, narrative, court case that he had with Sandy Hook or any of the kids that felt they had to relive trauma or the parents who had to relive trauma, or to be dismissive to all the lives that were lost during that tragic event," he said in clip of a press conference shared to Twitter on Saturday, October 29.
He explained the video he shared was something the television personality did in the late '90s on cults and "secret societies in America," and that sharing the clip did not mean that he was supporting or campaigning for Jones.
Irving went on to call the social media backlash he experienced "hilarious," slamming commenters for deciding to react to that video and not all of the other things he shared that day.
"It just goes back to the way our world is and works," he added. "I'm not here to complain about it, I just exist."
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The same journalist who questioned Irving on his support of Jones later asked him about why he was promoting the book and movie, Hebrews to Negroes, which sparked controversy for its anti-Semitic content.
The Brooklyn Nets star refused to humor the query, arguing that the reporter shouldn't use the word "promotion" when he is talking about him sharing things on social media, before repeatedly talking over the other man and demanding they move on to the next question.
"Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody?" he said at another point in the conference, also referring to his tweet. "Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people?"
"I’m not going to stand down on anything I believe in," he continued. "I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me."
This isn't the first time Irving's controversial beliefs have been put under the microscope. The pro athlete declared he was a flat-earther back in 2017, and amid the pandemic, he came out against the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.