Nets Owner Joe Tsai Says Kyrie Irving Has to Show People He’s Sorry

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is still serving his minimum five-game suspension for posting a link to an antisemitic film. Nets owner Joe Tsai said that if Irving wants to return to the lineup, he’ll need to show that he’s sorry.

Some — namely LeBron James — have contended that Irving apologized and should be back with the team. However, Tsai pointed out that Irving only apologized after he was suspended.

“He has to show people that he’s sorry,” Tsai told The New York Post. “What’s important — and what people miss — is he only apologized after he was suspended.”

It’s worth noting, that at this point, it’s only possible for Irving to “show people that he’s sorry” — read: apologize — after he was suspended.

Unless, of course, he has access to a souped-up, time-traveling DeLorean or can get Superman to reverse the rotation of the Earth he thinks is flat.

Then maybe he could issue a pre-suspension mea culpa.

Apologizing for his actions is one of the six conditions of Irving’s suspension. He has to satisfy all of them if he wants to end his indefinite suspension.

Late last week, Tsai tweeted that he had met with Irving, saying that he didn’t think he was antisemitic.

Irving’s meeting with Tsai satisfied another one of the conditions of his suspension.

Last week, Irving also met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Following the meeting, Silver — who is Jewish himself — also said that he was confident Irving is not antisemitic.

The Nets are in the midst of a road trip, and after Saturday night’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Irving has been suspended for 5 games. The Nets are 4-1 in those games.

This means that he will be eligible upon completing the conditions set forth by the Nets.

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