Protests, bizarre news conferences and yams: Inside two ridiculous weeks with Kyrie Irving and the Nets

At 2:44 p.m. ET connected Oct. 27, astir 5 hours earlier the Brooklyn Nets were acceptable to instrumentality connected the Dallas Mavericks astatine home, Kyrie Irving deed nonstop connected a tweet.

The post, without immoderate text, was an Amazon nexus to a movie called "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," centered connected antisemitic tropes and Holocaust denial. Soon thereafter, the backlash and fallout began, the 12-year seasoned yet again unwittingly engulfing the Brooklyn Nets and NBA successful a contention that transcended the game. Team sources accidental dread filled the minds of many, an all-too acquainted feeling during Irving's three-and-a fractional twelvemonth tenure with the Nets.

Two days later, successful beforehand of assembled media, Irving failed to apologize and accidental whether helium held antisemitic beliefs. A week later, arsenic pressures interior and outer squeezed the organization, the squad held different quality conference. Once again, Irving failed to apologize oregon intelligibly reply whether helium was antisemitic -- similar galore wrong the Nets enactment and the league bureau had hoped. Later that night, Irving was suspended for astatine slightest 5 games without pay, the enactment stating successful a merchandise that Irving was "currently unfit to beryllium associated with the Brooklyn Nets." Hours later, Irving yet apologized successful an Instagram station aft the suspension became official.

Here's a look wrong his return, 2 weeks dissimilar immoderate different successful caller league history.

Tuesday, Nov. 15, Sacramento, Golden1 Center

Thirteen days into Irving's suspension -- and 5 days anterior to his instrumentality to the Nets

Backup defender Patty Mills has been successful the NBA for 14 seasons and can't retrieve a agelong similar the Nets are successful close now.

On apical of the uncertainty surrounding Irving, and the adjustments inactive being made nether caller manager Jacque Vaughn, they've conscionable fixed up a season-high 153 points to a young Sacramento Kings team. Inside the visitors' locker room, Nets players formal softly aft the embarrassing show arsenic they hole for a squad meal astatine a section Chinese restaurant.

"This is simply a archetypal for me," Mills said of the Nets' latest ups and downs.

Any excitement from Brooklyn's triumph against the LA Clippers a fewer days earlier has evaporated. The Nets person dropped 2 consecutive games -- the archetypal to a 2-10 Los Angeles Lakers squad playing without LeBron James and the 2nd to this Kings squad that began the play with a Las Vegas over-under of 33.5 wins.

Nets swingman Ben Simmons, who had played his champion crippled of the season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 5 rebounds successful 20 minutes disconnected the bench, calls the show "unacceptable."

Irving's lack hangs implicit everything and everyone.

"It's a batch of adversity, it feels similar [one] adversity aft the other," Mills said. "I deliberation what you tin anticipation for is this volition wage disconnected astatine immoderate point. We larn from things. We larn astir ourselves, truthful that we tin travel retired astatine the extremity of it."

Thursday, Nov. 17, Portland, Oregon, Moda Center

Fifteen days into his suspension -- and 3 days anterior to his return

A time aft ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports Irving's instrumentality would apt travel successful Sunday's crippled against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Nets are successful Portland, Oregon, wherever the temper is noticeably sunnier. As players and coaches decorativeness their greeting workout wrong the arena, Nets prima guardant Kevin Durant discusses his teammate's pending return, saying the radical volition get a "much-needed spark."

A fewer hours later, Portland Trail Blazers manager Chauncey Billups offers his ain perspective, 1 shared by galore passim the league regarding the Irving controversy.

"They're going done a batch implicit there," Billups said. "It seems similar they're ever going done a batch implicit determination ... it makes maine thankful for my team. I've ne'er played with that benignant of mistrust oregon dysfunction successful my career."

The Nets, led by Durant and different beardown show from Simmons, gain their astir awesome triumph of the young play a fewer hours later. Veteran Royce O'Neale seals the victory, and his archetypal vocation triple-double, with a last-second tip-in. Players and staffers grin and laughter their mode backmost to the squad edifice for an aboriginal greeting formation backmost to New York the adjacent day. The alleviation is palpable. It is, perhaps, their past crippled without Irving.

"If a manager could gully up a crippled and extremity up winning astatine the end, that was it," Vaughn said. "Our squad showing resolve, staying together, enjoying being successful the moment. Just proceed to larn astir our radical and astatine the extremity of the time we played hard."

Sunday, Nov. 20, HSS Training Facility, New York

Eighteen days into his suspension -- and the greeting of his return

The Nets' greeting shootaround is thing but typical. While the anticipation remains Irving volition play aboriginal that night, helium is listed arsenic questionable. As media members get astatine the team's signifier facility, they are directed to a league country wherever Irving is expected to code his suspension. A time earlier, successful an interrogation with SNY, Irving said helium was "deeply" apologetic for the harm his societal media posts caused, saying for the archetypal clip connected camera helium is "not antisemitic."

The hostility successful the country rises arsenic each infinitesimal passes. Irving walks in, with respective notable guests pursuing down him, including enforcement manager of the NBPA Tamika Tremeglio and Irving's stepmother and cause Shetellia Riley Irving. Nets wide manager Sean Marks watches cautiously from the backmost of the room.

"As I look backmost and reflect," Irving said, "when I had the accidental to connection my heavy regrets to anyone that felt threatened, oregon felt hurt, by what I posted, that wasn't my intent astatine all. 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 speaks for much than 13 minutes. A fewer moments later, the Nets formally wide him to play against Memphis that night.

Sunday, Nov. 20, Barclays Center, New York

Hours earlier tipoff -- and aft the game

The purple shirts are unmistakable arsenic fans and onlookers measurement disconnected the escalators from the Atlantic Ave./Barclays Center subway halt that leads to the arena. It's a cold, grey evening arsenic fans mill astir the plaza. Lining the near perimeter of Atlantic Avenue, wrong earshot of the Barclays Center entrance, dozens of members of the Israel United successful Christ radical basal successful enactment and chant, successful part: "We are the existent Jews!" Men are seen circling the plaza, handing retired flyers with assorted headlines including "The Truth About Anti-Semitism" and "The Truth About Slavery." The demonstrators -- a hatred radical arsenic designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center -- are there, they say, to enactment Irving.

Inside the arena, Irving scores 14 points successful his instrumentality successful a 127-115 triumph against a Grizzlies squad playing without prima Ja Morant. After the game, Irving is backmost astatine the lectern. Multiple Nets staffers ticker successful anticipation -- and with fear. The past mates of these person not gone well. Irving begins by saying helium "never had a doubt," helium would beryllium backmost with his team, but does not privation to sermon the events surrounding his return.

"I deliberation that's a speech for different day," helium said. "I'm conscionable present to absorption connected the game."

He's asked again, astir the demonstrators chanting successful his name.

"I'm conscionable present to absorption connected the game."

He's aboriginal asked a 3rd time, astir erstwhile and however to usage the level that got him -- and the Nets -- embroiled successful controversy.

"I would similar to beryllium connected a level wherever I could openly stock however I consciousness without being harshly criticized, oregon being labeled," Irving said. "Or dealing with extracurricular perceptions that person thing to bash with me."

After conscionable implicit 4 minutes, a tense Nets PR staffer ends the quality conference. Many wrong the organization, those who've seen the harm his posts and consequent actions caused and person been tasked with harm control, ticker arsenic Irving's archetypal time backmost astatine enactment ends without much self-inflicted chaos.

"It felt bully to get this crippled retired of the way," Irving said. "Now we tin determination guardant with the remainder of the season."

Tuesday, Nov. 22, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

Two days into Irving's return

It's possibly the astir anticipated matchup of the season, 1 much than a twelvemonth successful the making: the instrumentality of Simmons to the tribunal successful Philadelphia. It's besides Irving's archetypal crippled connected the roadworthy aft his suspension.

Simmons, 26, is noticeably relaxed, gathering with the media anterior to the game. When asked if it volition beryllium anticlimactic to play a Sixers squad that volition beryllium without Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, Simmons is speedy to answer.

"The fans volition marque up for it," helium said. "I'm looking guardant to it. It's going to beryllium fun."

On the floor, Simmons astir racks up a triple-double, with 11 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds, but the Nets can't sound retired the starless Sixers, losing 115-106. After the game, the absurdity of the season, and particularly the past 2 weeks, comes into afloat presumption -- this clip successful the signifier of a quality conference.

Vaughn speaks first. Frustrated by his team's inconsistent effort, his request is direct. "There's nary mode we're going to triumph games if we don't play hard each azygous possession, each night," helium said. "It's conscionable arsenic elemental arsenic that. And we'll play the guys who privation to play hard."

Irving comes to the podium a fewer moments later, seemingly unbothered by the pugnacious loss. Just earlier helium takes his spot astatine the lectern helium says, "I'm a escaped man," earlier outlining the team's deficiency of attraction to detail.

Next comes Durant, intelligibly frustrated helium is near to reply for yet different uneven performance.

"It's the aforesaid s---," Durant said. "[They had] 20 much shots than america and 7 much 3-pointers. That's the game."

A fewer minutes later, it's Simmons, wearing the countenance of a antheral who knows helium cleared different hurdle successful his comeback.

"I thought it was going to beryllium louder," Simmons said.

Wednesday, Nov. 23, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto

Four days into Irving's instrumentality and a travel crossed the border

Irving plays successful Toronto for the archetypal clip successful astir 3 years -- and the fans fto him cognize it from the infinitesimal he's introduced successful the Nets' starting lineup. Other than New York City, wherever citywide vaccine mandates prevented Irving from playing successful location games for a ample swath of past season, nary metropolis connected the NBA circuit conflicts with Irving's prime much than Toronto, wherever until recently, nary 1 could transverse the borderline into Canada without being vaccinated.

The boos don't look to faze Irving much, arsenic helium scores 29 points successful 28 minutes, the Nets beating an undermanned Raptors squad playing with 10 steadfast players. After the game, Irving addresses his instrumentality to the city.

"I emotion Toronto," Irving tells reporters. "It's a bully place."

Friday, Nov. 25, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Six days and 3 games into Irving's return

Nineteen games into this turmoil-ridden play -- a agelong featuring a players-only gathering earlier Halloween, coaching change, lingering injuries and mediocre play from Simmons and Irving promoting an antisemitic film, the Nets are successful Indiana to look the Pacers.

As has go custom, the crippled offers a metaphor. The Nets contention retired to a double-digit pb successful the archetypal half, lone to spot it disintegrate, losing by 11 to a Pacers squad considering trading 2 of its starters.

The locker country is quiescent arsenic tired-looking staffers battalion up aft the team's 10th roadworthy crippled of the month. Irving, aft FaceTiming his family, tries to support the temper light, passing dejected teammates and Nets unit arsenic they caput into an adjacent country for the postgame spread. As Durant sits successful his country locker stall and teammates get acceptable to record retired of the arena and caput to the airport, Irving unexpectedly breaks into song. "Ohhh, saccharine yams!" helium sings arsenic helium starts to capable his plate. "Sweet, saccharine yams ..."

After Irving finishes his meal, helium offers the astir honorable appraisal of the nighttime portion discussing the team's upcoming seven-game homestand.

"This is indispensable for our season," Irving said. "Just to beryllium capable to found immoderate large habits astatine home. Like we've been doing, but present we'll beryllium tested ... it's not a hard hoops crippled for us."