WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Kevin Durant said Friday the Brooklyn Nets could have handled this tumultuous week a bit differently 鈥� a week in which his coach was fired and teammate Kyrie Irving was suspended for posting a link to an antisemitic work.
Then Durant clarified on Twitter and 鈥渋s about spreading love always.鈥�
Durant spoke Friday at the Nets' shootaround in Washington ahead of the evening's game against the Wizards. When asked what he thought of Irving鈥檚 recent conduct, , Durant said: 鈥淚 ain鈥檛 here to judge nobody or talk down on nobody for how they feel, their views or anything. I just didn鈥檛 like anything that went on.
"I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.鈥�
Within an hour, Durant followed up .
鈥淛ust wanna clarify the statements I made at shootaround, I see some people are confused,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 condone hate speech or anti-semetism (sic), I鈥檓 about spreading love always. Our game Unites people and I wanna make sure that鈥檚 at the forefront.鈥�
Irving did apologize in for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed and disagreed with when he posted about the documentary.
Nets general manager Sean Marks said Friday that the team has had some dialogue with Irving, but not enough given the circumstances.
鈥淭he organization has made multiple attempts to get with Kyrie and his representation and to have them clarify his feelings and put out a sense of remorse for this, and that obviously didn鈥檛 happen, and he refused to disavow that until his tweet last night,鈥� Marks said.
Marks said Irving鈥檚 apology was a step, but actions will speak louder than words. He also said the team is not considering releasing Irving at this time.
鈥淭here is going to be some remedial steps and measures that have been put in place for him to obviously seek some counseling ... from dealing with some anti-hate and some Jewish leaders within our community,鈥� Marks said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to have to sit down with them, he鈥檚 going to have to sit down with the organization after this, and we鈥檒l evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back.鈥�
Irving's reluctance to apologize came hours before the FBI said it had to synagogues in New Jersey, Irving鈥檚 home state.
In Florida on Saturday, the phrase 鈥淜anye is right about the jews鈥� was at the TIAA Bank Field stadium in Jacksonville during the Florida-Georgia football game 鈥� a reference to recent antisemitic comments that the music mogul formerly known as Kanye West has made on social media and in interviews. The incidents come four years after the deadliest attack on American Jews, when 11 people were in Pittsburgh.
The Nets also parted ways with coach Steve Nash this week and despite the star tandem of Durant and Irving, the team has a 2-6 record. Durant said the team has the ability to tune out all the turbulence.
鈥淚t's just the way of the NBA now. So many outlets now and their stories hit pretty fast now. That's where all the chaos is coming from," he said. "Everybody's opinions, everybody has an opinion on the situation, we're hearing it nonstop, but once the ball starts bouncing and we get into practice, none of that stuff really seeps into the gym.鈥�
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Noah Trister, The Associated Press
