KD: Kyrie situation 'sucks'; GM: Apology 1st step

WASHINGTON -- Brooklyn Nets prima Kevin Durant said the fallout from Kyrie Irving's societal media posts that centered connected an anti-Semitic publication and movie was an "unfortunate situation" that "just sucks each astir for everybody and hopefully we tin determination past it."

Irving was suspended by the Nets connected Thursday for "no little than 5 games" aft helium failed to formally apologize during a Thursday quality league for the wounded that his posts caused precocious past week. Irving aboriginal issued an apology implicit Instagram on Thursday night.

"I ain't present to justice cipher oregon speech down connected cipher for however they feel, their presumption oregon anything," Durant said pursuing Friday's shootaround. "I conscionable didn't similar thing that went on. I consciousness similar it was each unnecessary. I felt similar we could person conscionable kept playing hoops and kept quiescent arsenic an organization. I conscionable don't similar nary of it."

Following shootaround, Durant tweeted to clarify his comments, saying "I don't condone hatred code oregon antisemitism"

Just wanna clarify the statements I made astatine shootaround, I spot immoderate radical are confused..I don't condone hatred code oregon anti-semetism, I'm astir spreading emotion always. Our crippled Unites radical and I wanna marque definite that's astatine the forefront

Nets wide manager Sean Marks, who traveled with the squad for Friday's crippled against the Washington Wizards, said the squad ne'er considered waiving Irving successful the aftermath of this latest controversy.

"No," Marks said. "Not astatine this constituent successful time."

Marks said that portion Irving's apology connected Instagram was a bully archetypal step, Irving volition request to instrumentality much steps, including "counseling designated by the team" arsenic good arsenic gathering with Jewish leaders wrong the Brooklyn community, earlier being capable to play for the Nets again.

"I deliberation aft thing similar this, you would ever anticipation that there's a change," Marks said. "There's a alteration successful feelings, a alteration successful attitude, I think, per his apology, that's a measurement successful the close direction. But arsenic we've benignant of stated, actions talk louder than words. And truthful he's had immoderate clip and determination volition beryllium much clip to bespeak connected that.

"... He's going to person to beryllium down [Jewish leaders]. He's going to person to beryllium down with the enactment aft this. And we'll measure and spot if this is the close accidental to bring him back."

When asked if helium agreed with the team's determination to suspend Irving, said Durant: "I judge and spot successful the enactment to bash what's right."

As a longtime superstar successful the league, Durant understands and has discussed the around-the-clock sum that the NBA and its players receive.

"It's conscionable the mode of the NBA now," Durant said. "Media, there's truthful galore outlets present and stories deed beauteous accelerated now. That's wherever each the chaos is coming from. Everybody's opinion, and everybody has an sentiment connected this situation, and we're proceeding it nonstop.

"But erstwhile the balls commencement bouncing and we get into practice, nary of that worldly seeps into the gym, truthful that's the chill portion astir being successful the gym. But erstwhile you measurement disconnected the court, everybody's got the microphones out, microscopes, looking astatine you, asking you what you consciousness astir it. So that's been difficult, but the crippled is simply a changeless for us."