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Kyrie Irving’s mysterious absence from the Brooklyn Nets has been a hot topic of conversation in NBA circles but Jackie MacMullan’s take on the situation may have gone too far.
Earlier this week it was reported that Kyrie had decided to take some time off because he was upset over “everything that is going in this country’ following the US Capitol riot.
“Kyrie is very upset about everything that is going on in this country.”
A source close to Kyrie Irving’s camp told The Association that Irving did not play because he is protesting against the riots at the U.S. Capitol, and the Breonna Taylor verdict.https://t.co/BucA3kP8BD
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) January 8, 2021
While talking about the Irving situation on Ryen Russillo’s podcast, MacMullan told a story about the time she once got into an argument with Kyrie about the NBA draft. During the argument, Kyrie told her that players should go to whichever team they wanted because “we’re not someone’s property” to which he responded by saying “yeah, you are dude that’s the way it works, that’s why you get paid millions of dollars.”
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MacMullan’s comments didn’t sit too well with NBA fans who felt she was being racially insensitive.
https://twitter.com/TheHockeyBoomer/status/1349799268463251456
Not only does this look/sound terrible on Jackie's part, but the answer is just wrong lol. The draft is about competitive balance. Such a simple way to address that point from Kyrie, and she chooses…this https://t.co/5ErONtMNJX
— kyle 🏀 (@kyledotcom) January 14, 2021
https://twitter.com/_kosmonaut/status/1349796514567077889
https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/1349776514158645249
https://twitter.com/epursley/status/1349821464690700288
Has the stampede of sportswriters defending her for this started yet? This is indefensible and patently racist. Black people aren't property to be bartered and sold at whim. https://t.co/GW50L8xTzY
— Paul Dawkins (@Paul__Dawkins) January 14, 2021
I’ve long respected Jackie MacMullan as a reporter but, phew boy, this is an incredibly problematic take and a bad look. Really, really hope she apologizes and clarifies her point. https://t.co/hNHX2Cmyv0
— Timothy Rapp (@TRappaRT) January 14, 2021