Fact Check: Is Kyrie Irving Jewish? Knowing more about ethnicity & cultural roots of former NBA champion

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Is Kyrie Irving Jewish? Ethnicity & Cultural Roots Explored

Considered one of the most electrifying scorers in NBA history, Kyrie Irving is also known as a vocal individual who is firm in his beliefs in life.

Previously, Irving got into some trouble after the Anti-Semitic comments he made in 2022. The league ended up suspending five games without pay following his social media post about the movie titled "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America."

He has apologized and explained himself following the incident, saying he only wanted to know more about his heritage and the history of his people.

There are some who have questioned if Kyrie Irving is Jewish. The answer is no, the eight-time All-Star is not Jewish, as he has the ethnicities of Australians, Americans, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

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Despite the incident that happened, Irving has no ties to or association with the Jewish community.


Kyrie Irving on belonging to The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation

In an ESPN article written by Brian Windhorst, Kyrie Irving went to Standing Rock in 2018 to fully embrace his heritage and even honor his late mother, who passed away.

"There was a certain point in my life where I had come almost at a crossroads with my dad, my sister, my friends, my grandparents," Irving said, "and I had no idea kind of what direction to go into because I had lost the sense of a foundation."
"Knowing my mom passed and left me such a powerful, empowering family," Irving added, "such as Standing Rock ... to be a part of it now, this is family for life."

It was an important moment for Irving, as he has always been an individual who continues to seek out and discover more about himself and his identity. Before joining his heritage that year, the Dallas star had previously donated $100,000 to the tribe in support of them.


Kyrie Irving on being a Muslim

The NBA star is also known as one of the players who is Muslim. He converted to the religion back in 2021 and has even talked about how fasting has changed the way he plays during games.

"I am not alone in this," Irving said. "I have brothers and sisters all around the world that are fasting with me. We hold our prayers and our meditations very sacred and when you come out here, I mean, God's inside me, God's inside you, God's inside all of us."
"So, I am walking with faith and that's all that matters," Irving added, "When I get a chance to do this, in this type of arena and showcase my talents that have been granted to me strictly from God and I am humble."

The all-star can be many things, which has sometimes gotten him into trouble. Over time, Kyrie Irving has remained an individual who continues to be headstrong in his identity as not just an NBA player, but a human being as well.

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Edited by Deepesh Nair
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