Kyrie set to rejoin Nets after eight-game ban

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving's eight-game suspension is over.

The Brooklyn Nets defender has been cleared to play Sunday nighttime against the Memphis Grizzlies. It volition people his archetypal crippled since helium was suspended Nov. 3 for "harmful interaction of his conduct" relating to societal media posts astir a publication and movie that contained antisemitic ideas.

Irving reiterated to reporters Sunday that helium wanted to connection "my heavy apologies to each those who are impacted implicit the past fewer weeks."

"I don't basal for thing adjacent to hatred speech, oregon antisemitism, oregon thing that is anti going against the quality race," Irving said. "I consciousness similar we each should person an accidental to talk for ourselves erstwhile things are assumed astir us. And I consciousness it was indispensable for maine to basal successful this spot and instrumentality accountability for my actions due to the fact that determination was a mode I should person handled each of this.

"... I meant nary harm to immoderate person, immoderate radical of people. And yeah, this is simply a large infinitesimal for maine due to the fact that I'm capable to larn passim this process that the powerfulness of my dependable is precise strong. The power that I person wrong my assemblage is precise strong. And I privation to beryllium liable for that. In bid to bash that, we person to admit erstwhile you were incorrect and instances wherever you wounded radical and it impacts them."

Irving acknowledged that helium felt helium could person handled the archetypal effect to the posts better.

"It should person been connected the archetypal time that I was dealing with each this of conscionable being determination for each those that felt similar this was antisemitic," Irving said. "And I should person clarified that I americium not antisemitic and I americium not anti-anything erstwhile it comes to the mode I unrecorded my life. So the learning acquisition for maine was conscionable the powerfulness of my level and the interaction that it tin origin if it's not taken attraction of the close way. So gathering with antithetic radical wrong the Jewish assemblage has offered maine immoderate clarity connected a deeper knowing of what's going connected and the interaction that was made and the wounded that was caused.

"That's wherefore I'm present apologizing. Because I felt it was indispensable successful my bosom to widen the olive branch, the invitation, to fto everyone know, not conscionable successful the Jewish community, but each races successful our world, that I'm present to perceive and I'm present to basal with you against immoderate issues that whitethorn beryllium plaguing your community. This combat is overmuch bigger than myself, and I'm not unsocial successful this."

The Nets released a connection Sunday praised Irving's consequent effect to the backlash implicit his posts.

"Kyrie took ownership of his travel and had conversations with respective members of the Jewish community. We are pleased that helium is going astir the process successful a meaningful way," the squad said.

Nets wide manager Sean Marks, players' relation enforcement manager Tamika Tremaglio and Shetellia Riley Irving, Irving's stepmother and agent, were each successful attendance during Sunday's quality conference.

Irving said aft initially coming abbreviated of a ceremonial apology for the posts connected Nov. 3 past getting suspended, helium decided to apologize aboriginal that nighttime connected Instagram aft much reflection.

"I was rightfully antiaircraft that determination was an presumption that I could beryllium antisemitic," Irving said, "or that I meant to station the documentary to basal broadside by broadside with each the views of the documentary. ... How tin you telephone idiosyncratic an antisemite erstwhile you don't cognize them? How tin you telephone their household retired connected things that we don't person a way grounds of? I person nary way grounds of thing similar that. So for maine to respond that way, it was human. And I had to springiness myself immoderate grace and springiness myself immoderate time, to spell backmost location and reflect."