Nike Suspends Relationship with Kyrie Irving

• Nike suspended its association with NBA star Kyrie Irving late Friday after he uploaded an anti-Semitic video on social media and failed to apologize or denounce it.
• Nike said, “We abhor any type of antisemitism and hate speech.” “
• We’ve decided to stop our connection with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8.”

Nike suspended its association with NBA star Kyrie Irving late Friday after he uploaded an anti-Semitic video on social media and failed to apologize or denounce it.

Nike said, “We abhor any type of antisemitism and hate speech.” “We’ve decided to stop our connection with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8.” Industry outlets said the Kyrie 8 sneaker will come this month.

“We are profoundly concerned and dismayed by the situation and its effect on everyone,” Nike added.

The Brooklyn Nets banned Irving for at least five games without pay a day after he posted the anti-Semitic video “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” on social media. The Nets banned Irving “until he meets a number of objective remedial steps that address the detrimental consequences of his conduct.”

“We were concerned today, when given a chance in a media session, that Kyrie declined to categorically claim he has no antisemitic sentiments, nor address particular abhorrent elements in the film,” the Nets stated Thursday after Irving’s press conference. He neglected to explain before.

The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, called the press conference a “debacle” and said the ADL could not “in good faith” accept Irving’s $500,000 donation to anti-hate initiatives the day before.

Irving finally apologised on Instagram late Thursday after days of denying the accusations.

“I am deeply sorry to all Jewish families and communities that my tweet hurt and hurt you,” he said, adding that he took “full accountability and responsibility” for his actions. “Initially, I reacted out of anger at being wrongly called anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters who were hurt by the harsh statements made in the Documentary.

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