By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Suspended All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is nearing completion on the process needed for a return to play and could rejoin the Brooklyn Nets as soon as Sunday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Barclays Center, per an ESPN report.
Irving will miss his eighth consecutive game on Thursday night in Portland, but he is closing in on the end to his suspension after nearly two weeks.
“Kyrie is continuing his journey of dialogue and education,” National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio told ESPN on Wednesday night. “He has been grappling with the full weight of the impact of his voice and actions, particularly in the Jewish community. Kyrie rejects antisemitism in any form, and he’s dedicated to bettering himself and increasing his level of understanding. He plans to continue this journey well into the future to ensure that his words and actions align with his pursuit of truth and knowledge.”
Irving is carrying out a minimum five-game suspension without pay for his failure to initially apologize for and condemn his social media link to a film riddled with antisemitic material.
Irving’s apology, posted on his Instagram account hours after his suspension was announced on Nov. 4 came in the wake of two news conferences and a public statement issued with the Nets that didn’t include an apology or a condemnation.
Irving has met with Nets owner Joe Tsai and commissioner Adam Silver individually, and both publicly said that they didn’t believe Irving is antisemitic.