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The Brooklyn Nets announced guard Kyrie Irving was out against the 76ers for personal reasons on Thursday, and head coach Steve Nash apparently didn’t hear from the All-Star before the whistleblower.
He said at a press conference that when he learned that Irving was out, he contacted the 28-year-old. According to AthleticJoe Vardon, a source said Irving was “OK” but his return schedule is unclear.
It is not known at this time why Irving is absent and did not respond to his head coach Thursday night; however, the events of the past 48 hours could have played a role.
On January 5, the Kenosha (Wisc.) District attorney decided not to prosecute the officer who shot Jacob Blake, leaving him paralyzed. The shooting took place on August 23, 2020, three months after George Floyd died when he was violently restrained by police in Minneapolis.
Floyd’s death sparked protests across the world as the Black Lives Matter movement fought back and advocated for racial and social justice.
This summer, Irving was reportedly against restarting the league in the bubble amid racial injustice, and led an appeal of more than 80 players in June before the restart. He advocated for players to focus on social injustices after Floyd’s death.
“I don’t support going to Orlando,” he told the players, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. “I’m not with systematic racism and the bulls – t.”
In the aftermath of Blake’s shooting, NBA and WNBA players chose not to play multiple games in protest. Several teams, like the Milwaukee Bucks, issued statements in the wake of the Kenosha news.
“The Bucks organization remains firmly opposed to the excessive use of force by law enforcement,” the statement said. “This past year, we have shed light on the current racial injustices facing our African American and other marginalized communities… As an organization, we remain firmly committed to addressing issues of social injustice and anti-racism and to make meaningful change for African Americans and all marginalized members of our community.
LeBron James, Irving’s former teammate, spoke about the prosecutor’s decision during his post-game interview on Tuesday.
“Hearing what happened in Kenosha today was a blow to the heart and the gut”, James said. “Not only to this community, but also to us and to every black person who has been a part of this process and who has seen these results for so long. And not just in the black community, but also in the white community who sees times like this. it happens to us, it happens to his family, it happens to the kid himself. To see this verdict was a blow to the gut and a blow to the heart.
“We must continue to stand strong, to keep believing in each other and to keep pushing for the greatest change and the greatest good.”
Several NBA teams – Heat, Celtics, Bucks and Pistons – reacted before and during their Wednesday night games.
“To be honest,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, “at 30 minutes I didn’t think we were going to play.”
The Miami and Boston players released a pre-game statement and went to their knees during the national anthem.
“2021 is a new year, but some things haven’t changed”, the statement read. “The stark difference between the way protesters were treated last spring and summer and the encouragement given to protesters today who acted illegally shows how much work we still have to do.
“We have decided to play tonight’s game to try to bring joy to people’s lives. But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform. to highlight these issues and do all we can to work. for a more equitable and just America. #BLACKLIVESSTILLMATTER “
The Milwaukee and Detroit players went through the opening point, kicked the ball out of bounds, and knelt as one.
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