“Kyrie was wrong and Kyrie made a mistake” – Stephen A. Smith believes Kyrie Irving’s apology is enough to put an end to his antisemitic controversy

Kyrie Irving has been in the news for the last couple of weeks after being accused of being antisemitic. The Brooklyn Nets guard has issued an apology for his actions. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith believes that should be enough.

Irving, through his social media page, posted a link to a documentary about antisemitism. His decision to not clearly explain his stance on the subject gave room for his intentions to be misconstrued.

As a result, the Nets suspended him for, at least, five games. The organization also outlined certain conditions he had to meet before he would be allowed to play again. Irving issued a public apology and has been taking steps to rectify the situation.

However, members of the NBA community believe his apology should be enough to get him back on the court. On "First Take," Smith said:

(From 3:10)

"Kyrie was wrong. Kyrie should not have done what he did."

After highlighting Irving's actions and how offensive they were, Smith continued:

"But, he apologized. Albeit reluctantly, he did that. The Anti-Defamation League, somebody needs to talk to them. Nobody else has done it, so I'm gonna do it. Directly to the Anti-Defamation league.

"Most folks in our society recognize that Kyrie was wrong and Kyrie made a mistake. Attaching yourself to a link with antisemitic tropes and in any way speaking of Adolf Hitler in a positive manner is as inexcusable as it gets. He apologized for it. The Commissioner of the National Football League has come out and said that Kyrie Irving is someone he has known personally for a decade and that he can vouch for the fact that Kyrie Irving is not antisemitic. That should be enough."

Nonetheless, Irving has taken meetings with several key players in the NBA community. He has spoken with Nets owner Joe Tsai and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, both of whom have stated that they do not believe Irving is antisemitic.

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More people are starting to speak up in Kyrie Irving's defense

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets

Since the jump, Jay Williams has spoken in defense of Irving. He highlighted that all of the backlash is on Irving. Meanwhile, no one has made a comment about the platform (Amazon) that is profiting off the movie. Williams also spoke about how many others have gotten away with an apology for far worse, while Irving is being put through several hoops.

Former teammate LeBron James has also spoken out about the conditions. He believes Irving should be playing and called the conditions "excessive."

The president (CJ McCollum) and vice-president (Jaylen Brown) have also condemned the hurdles Irving is being put through. Brown said that the NBPA might appeal the suspension from Brooklyn, stating that the terms are a lot.

The Nets will likely play their fifth game without Kyrie on Saturday against the LA Clippers. It will be the first of a four-game road trip before the Nets return home on November 20.