The Why Project
← Antisemitism

Kyrie Irving

NBA player (Brooklyn Nets)

Broad consensus

Promoted a film containing Holocaust denial and blood-libel content.

What happened

Tweeted a link to the film “Hebrews to Negroes,” which contains Holocaust denial, a fabricated Hitler quote, and claims that Jews are satanic. In follow-up media he repeatedly declined to say he held no antisemitic beliefs.

Under each definition

Promoting Holocaust denial is antisemitic under all three general definitions; the 3D test is moot.
IHRAIHRA Working Definition
Antisemitic

Example 4: promoting material that denies the Holocaust, plus blood-libel-style claims that Jews are satanic.

JDAJerusalem Declaration
Antisemitic

Guideline 5 (Holocaust denial/minimization) and the general bar on defaming Jews as a collective.

NexusNexus Document
Antisemitic

Defamatory, denialist content about Jews; no Israel dimension.

3D testSharansky’s 3D Test
N/A

Not about Israel.

Who called it antisemitic

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver; Nets owner Joe Tsai; the ADL.

The defense

Initially defiant (“I meant no harm”), then an Instagram apology to “Jewish families and communities that are hurt.”

Outcome

Suspended 8 games without pay; reinstatement was conditioned on apology, training, and meetings with Jewish community leaders.

In their words

Called it antisemitic
Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive antisemitic material. … I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize.
Adam SilverNBA CommissionerNBA Communications
Called it antisemitic
I’m disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation. … as a man of faith, it is wrong to promote hate based on race, ethnicity or religion. This is bigger than basketball.
Joe TsaiBrooklyn Nets ownerThe New York Times
The subject
I am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The ‘Anti-Semitic’ label that is being pushed on me is not justified.
Kyrie IrvingNBA player (initial, defiant response)Newsweek
The subject
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.
Kyrie IrvingNBA player (later apology)NBA.com / AP

The verdicts above are how each framework would most likely treat this case — illustrative guidance, not official rulings. The 3D test applies only to Israel-related cases, so it reads “N/A” elsewhere. See the Definition tab for each framework’s full text. Inclusion is documentation, not a finding.