Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai is speaking out against his team’s star player, Kyrie Irving. Tsai issued a statement on Twitter on Friday, saying he condemns Irving for promoting an antisemitic film and book on his social media accounts.
“I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-Semitic disinformation,” the Nets owner tweeted. “I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.”
I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. I want to sit down and make sure he understands this is hurtful to all of us, and as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion.
— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) October 29, 2022
According to RollingStone, Irving went to social media on Thursday to promote a movie titled Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. The film, according to RollingStone, is based on a book which suggests that “many famous high-ranking Jews” have “admitted” to “worshiping Satan or Lucifer.”
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) October 27, 2022
According to the film’s description, Hebrews to Negroes “uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel.” The 2015 book, written by Ronald Dalton, Jr., also gives a similar description.
“Since the European and Arab slave traders stepped foot into Africa, Blacks have been told lies about their heritage,” the book states.
Dalton, who also directed and narrated the film, expressed concern about how slavery is taught in schools. The writer said schools don’t teach about “the Jewish slave ships that brought our West African negro or Bantu ancestors to slave ports owned by [Jews].” He also said the mass media is “the biggest tool of indoctrination, brainwashing, and propaganda that the world has seen” and it has been “helping Satan deceive the world” for centuries.
Despite facing backlash from Tsai and other social media users, Irving has not deleted the amazon link he posted on his Twitter.