Major Controversies Surrounding Kyrie Irving: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Kyrie Irving.

Kyrie Andrew Irving is a prominent American professional basketball player currently playing for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. Drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011, he earned Rookie of the Year honors. Irving is a nine-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA Team selection, and won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. He is known for his exceptional ball-handling skills and scoring ability.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

February 2017: Initial Flat Earth Comments

In February 2017, Kyrie Irving stated in an interview for a podcast that he believes that the Earth is flat.

September 2017: Denial of Flat Earth Claims

In September 2017, Kyrie Irving denied his original flat Earth claims and said that media misunderstood him as he was joking.

June 2018: Reiteration of Flat Earth Doubts

In a June 2018 interview, Kyrie Irving when asked if he would admit that the world is round, he said, "I don't know. I really don't", and added that people should "do [their] own research for what [they] want to believe in" because "Our educational system is flawed".

October 2018: Apology for Flat Earth Comments

In October 2018, Kyrie Irving apologized for his original flat Earth comments but stopped short of saying whether he still believed that the Earth is flat.

October 12, 2021: Ineligible to play due to vaccine mandate

On October 12, 2021, Nets' general manager Sean Marks announced that Kyrie Irving would be ineligible to play or practice with the team due to the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

October 2021: Speculation on Exclusion from NBA 75th Anniversary Team

Amidst controversies surrounding his hesitancy to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and sharing conspiracy theories, it was speculated that in October 2021, Kyrie Irving was excluded from the NBA 75th Anniversary Team list.

October 21, 2021: Omission from NBA 75th Anniversary Team

On October 21, 2021, it was speculated that Kyrie Irving was originally on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, but was later excluded, allegedly due to the ongoing vaccine mandate controversy.

2021: Missed NBA Season due to Vaccination Decision

Kyrie Irving's decision not to get vaccinated for COVID-19 led to him missing the majority of the 2021–2022 NBA season.

February 2022: NYC mayor announced vaccine requirement lift

In February 2022, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would be lifting its vaccine requirement for indoor activities on March 7, but Kyrie Irving remained subject to a workplace vaccine mandate.

September 15, 2022: Sharing Alex Jones Video on Instagram

On September 15, 2022, Kyrie Irving shared a video on his Instagram story featuring a rant by InfoWars creator and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

October 27, 2022: Tweet Linking to Anti-Semitic Film

On October 27, 2022, Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to an Amazon listing page for Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a 2018 film based on a book of the same name, which promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology and contains antisemitic content.

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October 29, 2022: Irving Defends Tweet and Denies Religious Biases

On October 29, 2022, Kyrie Irving tweeted that calling him antisemitic was "not justified" and expressed his intent to learn from all walks of life and religions. He defended his tweet during a postgame press availability, denying religious biases and stating that history should not be hidden. He asserted he would not back down on his beliefs and felt supported by others.

November 3, 2022: Suspension from the Nets

On November 3, 2022, The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for at least five NBA games due to his failure to unequivocally denounce antisemitic beliefs and deemed him unfit to be associated with the team.