On Nov. 4, the Nets suspended point guard Kyrie Irving for at least five games amidst controversy for his promotion of an anti-semitic documentary.

   Irving faced immediate backlash after he promoted the film on his Twitter account back in October since the film contains several pieces of misinformation that dealt with serious racial and religious topics. 

   The NBA released a statement a few days after Irving shared the post. Although their statement condemned hate speech, it did not mention Irving’s name. Irving publicly addressed the post for the first time that same day at a press conference when the Nets lost against the Indiana Pacers. Although Irving reaffirmed his support for the film and other anti-government conspiracies, he claimed the post was not a ‘promotion.’

   A joint statement with the Nets, Irving, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was released on Nov. 2 which addressed the recent attention around the Nets and one of their star players. 

   “‘I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day…. I am aware of the negative impact of my post towards the Jewish community and I take responsibility,’ “ Irving said according to the statement from the Nets and ADL.

   Irving will have to complete a list of tasks before he is able to return to the court. The terms of his suspension include a $500,000 donation to anti-hate causes, a meeting with the ADL and Jewish leaders, and sensitivity training, among other tasks. 

   Amidst the strife both within and around the Nets, the organization fired their head coach Steve Nash, after his two-year stint in Brooklyn. According to ESPN, General manager Sean Marks claimed the separation with Nash was not connected to the Irving drama, and it was simply time to move on. 

   Several players in the league have spoken out about Irving’s recent behavior. Lakes star Lebron James addressed the situation right after Irving’s suspension was announced.

  “I hope [Irving] understands what he did and the actions that he took are just harmful to a lot of people,” James said according to The New York Post, .

   Fellow teammate Kevin Durant made it clear he was frustrated with the attention around the team.

   “I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization…I don’t condone hate speech or anti-semitism, I’m about spreading love always. Our game Unites people and I wanna make sure that’s at the forefront,” Durant said according to CBS Sports. 

   Irving is eligible to return with the Nets on Nov. 13 against the Lakers. It is uncertain what the next steps will be for the organization as they navigate this period of unrest both on and off the court.