LeBron James Calls Punishment Given To Kyrie Irving ‘Excessive’

LeBron James says he knows Kyrie Irving was wrong but that the punishment meted out to him is excessive.

[{"selector":"#anim-d2e131c6-8a45-4064-bd72-3b1dd06b662c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-afea6dfa-021c-49a2-9a78-fa6fdb384c28","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.82649%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-26fb17c6-e329-4a69-a77c-85e200e4e34d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

James came to Irving’s defense in a series of tweets, saying Irving is not the negative person people are portraying him as.

[{"selector":"#anim-1d4ef924-9ed4-43c3-97eb-4c59ebb5188e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f45a7b86-d271-4344-9c79-de6a369e604d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.82649%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-54f72fe7-58ee-416f-ac70-c20fbf6b301f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Irving was recently suspended from The Nets after failing to apologize for promoting an anti-Semitic film on his Twitter account.

[{"selector":"#anim-321e6279-b0b2-4f9b-9c12-7715deddf1de","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-97e718ee-e862-4f42-b3a4-51edeec7e954","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.14195%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-91f7ed52-b5ca-4b38-912a-e6fe185429cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The team’s statement read that it has repeatedly tried and failed to help Irving understand the danger in his tweets.

[{"selector":"#anim-210f5bcd-aed8-4c5b-9ea6-792554c7b26e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f393c2f7-6d49-433b-ac63-b5bfc2068813","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.82649%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d756c22e-d683-48a4-9b6f-ab3d7629d5ba","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The statement also read that Irving has to satisfy several remedial measures to resume his active player status.

[{"selector":"#anim-f802bf67-20d4-458d-b1b3-5c7a60b058b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d69d6a26-4c3b-46fb-80dc-eb4c70c73ef3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.14195%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0c3eb6bd-2a38-47e7-a46a-c91437cc2883","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

These measures include anti-semitic training, sensitivity training, and meeting with Jewish community leaders.

[{"selector":"#anim-0e226336-9384-4eb8-9325-bcfe03837e0e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c02f9fcd-429c-42a8-a723-ca6b8a970236","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.14195%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e78d34ac-4f77-4026-a213-b03f5d303b4e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Irving has also finally issued a statement apologizing to his fans, team, and the Jewish community.

[{"selector":"#anim-93be4006-781e-436d-923c-c91a6af10adc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c9c3236-a8d6-442e-8792-a8fe95e56d82","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.14195%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-debe09dc-8b64-4e5c-a474-5754b8fe12c8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

His partnership with sports brand Nike has also been suspended due to the controversy and will likely be terminated.

[{"selector":"#anim-7bd28381-dd18-4630-b5eb-01db8801a58c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f9285df-029d-4a92-9f6a-32edca9b7a7f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.82649%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0704c71c-6352-43b1-a7f3-d832d291372c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Irving’s signature shoe line with Nike, which has existed since 2014, is one of the most popular in the league.

[{"selector":"#anim-e195d311-eff0-4a22-9563-94fc341f945a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11cc68d3-56c4-4184-9ddc-98a7b578a74c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.19558%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1200,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f11ae499-d22a-4a82-8e5d-78a69eab553d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more