Kyrie Irving dumped by Nike after promoting anti-Semitic film: report

On Friday, The Daily Beast reported that shoe giant Nike has cut ties with Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving, shortly after the team itself suspended him after he promoted an anti-Semitic film.

"'At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism,' the company said in a statement announcing its decision late Friday," reported Alec Karam. "The company said it will no longer be launching the Kyrie 8 show."

"In a press conference Thursday, Irving said, 'I can’t be antisemitic if I know where I came from. I don’t know how the label becomes justified,'" said the report. "He was suspended from the team later that day, bringing about Irving’s first apology. '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,' he said in an Instagram post late Thursday night."

The 2018 film Irving promoted, "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," alleges that the slave trade was controlled by the Jews and denies that the Holocaust happened. The American Jewish Committee is calling on Amazon to pull down the film from its list of products.

Since Irving endorsed the film, numerous figures have come out against him, with Nets owner Joe Tsai saying he was "disappointed" in Irving and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has pushed for Irving's sponsors to abandon him.