The Brooklyn Nets announced Thursday that guard Kyrie Irving faced the 76ers for personal reasons and apparently head coach Steve Nash had no news of the All-Star leading to relegation.
He told a news conference that when he learned Irving was out, he contacted the 28-year-old. Seconds AthleticJoe Vardon, a source, said Irving is “okay,” but his schedule for returning is unclear.
It is unknown at this time why Irving did not respond to his coach from Thursday evening; however, the events of the last 48 hours could have had an important factor.
On January 5, the district attorney for Kenosha County, Wisc., Decided not to prosecute the police officer who shot Jacob Blake, leaving him paralyzed. The shooting occurred on August 23, 2020, three months after George Floyd’s death while police officers violently detained her in Minneapolis.
Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world as the Black Lives Matter movement fought and championed racial and social justice.
This summer, Irving apparently opposed the league’s resumption in the bubble amid racial injustice and led a rally of more than 80 players in June before the resumption. He advocated for players to focus on social injustices after Floyd’s death.
“I can’t stand going into Orlando,” he told players, according to Athletic’s Shams Charania. “I’m not with systematic racism and bulls …”.
After Blake’s shooting, NBA and WNBA players chose not to play in several games in protest. Various teams, like the Milwaukee Bucks, released statements following Kenosha’s news.
“The Bucks organization stands firm against the excessive use of force by law enforcement,” the statement said. “This past year has shed light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African Americans and other marginalized communities … As an organization, we remain firmly committed to addressing issues of social injustice and anti-racism and making significant changes for African Americans and all the marginalized members of our community ”.
LeBron James, Irving’s former teammate, spoke about the prosecutor’s decision during his post-match interview on Tuesday.
“Listening to what happened today in Kenosha has been a blow to the heart and guts,” James said. “Not just for this community, but for us and for all the black people who have been a part of this process and have seen these results for so long. And not just the black community, but the community as well. white who sees moments like this happen to us, to her family, to the boy himself: to see that the verdict was a blow to the gut and a blow to the heart.
“We must continue to stay strong, we must continue to believe in each other and continue to drive greater change and greater good.”
Several NBA teams (Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Pistons) reacted before and during their games on Wednesday night.
“Honestly,” said Celtics coach Brad Stevens, “at 30 minutes I didn’t think we were going to play.”
The Miami and Boston players issued a statement before the game and knelt during the national anthem.
“2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed” the statement was read. “The drastic difference between the way last spring and summer protesters were treated and the encouragement given to today’s protesters who acted illegally demonstrate the work we need to do more.
“We have decided to play the game tonight to try to bring joy to people’s lives. But we must not forget the injustices of our society and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything as much as possible to work for a more equal and fairer America. #BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER “
The Milwaukee and Detroit players passed with the starting point, made the ball out of the ball and knelt as one.