By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Washington Wizards and Israeli national team player Deni Avdija commented on the Kyrie Irving controversy that shook the NBA and the US public.
As the only Israeli in the NBA, Avdija’s point of view on the subject has a special value.
“Listen, at the end of the day he’s a role model, he’s a great player, I think he made a mistake, but you need to understand that he gives examples to people and people look up to him. You can think whatever you want, you can do whatever you want, just I don’t think it’s right to go out in public and publish it and let little kids that follow you see it, and generations that will come after will think like that because it’s not true“, Avdija said.
Irving’s controversial tweet with a link to an anti-Semitic film, created a backlash in the US, resulting in Brooklyn Nets suspending their player for five games with no pay, and Nike dropping the NBA star.
“Hopefully, he’s sorry for what he said. I think there need to be consequences for the actions that players do, I don’t know the punishment that the league gives — but I think it needs to be known that there’s no room for words like that“, the lone Jewish player in the NBA added.
He also credits the Jewish community at-large for being there for him and cheering him on in everything that he does: “I go to different places around the league, and the amount of support I get is outrageous, and it just makes me smile, it makes me keep going. It gives me the motivation to work hard and represent my country, but in terms of things like that, it’s always going to be there. It’s never going away.“