“He’d be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people” - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rips Kyrie Irving for tarnishing the image of athletes, urges sponsors to drop Brooklyn Nets star

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn’t take too kindly to Kyrie Irving sharing an Alex Jones video on his Instagram account several days ago. Irving’s espousing of the “New World Order” conspiracy is just one of many controversial things the mercurial point guard has done over the years.

The LA Lakers legend wrote a piece on Substack that ripped the Brooklyn Nets star for sharing the “stench” of the right-wing radio host:

“Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes. When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society—Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russel, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, and more—it becomes clear how much Irving has tarnished the reputations of all athletes who strive to be seen as more than dumb jocks.”

Alex Jones' video purported to show that government leaders all over the world are responsible for global catastrophes such as the pandemic. He accuses them of releasing these horrific events to simply profit over the suffering of the masses. Jones is also currently on trial for dismissing the horrific Sandy Hook killings as nothing more than a hoax.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added:

“Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior. One way to do that, beyond shaking our heads and nasty tweets, is to write to his sponsors and tell them to drop Irving—or you will drop them.

“Nike has likely decided not to renew his contract past this season. But he is still sponsored by Pepsi and 2K Sports. (Don’t feel bad for Irving: his career earnings at the end of the 2022-’23 season will be $230 million. That buys a lot of Yes-people.)”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hasn’t been the only one who has criticized and even ridiculed Kyrie Irving over his Alex Jones infatuation. Some have been so appalled by his recent “philosophy” that they can’t even take him seriously.

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Revisiting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scathing remarks against Kyrie Irving’s martyr-like perception of himself

Last October, when news broke that Kyrie Irving would not take the vaccine to become the “voice of the voiceless,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pushed back.

“Respecting everyone’s decision sounds good—sounds so patriotic and All-American. But it’s lame logic. We don’t respect the choice of someone in an apartment building to let mold run rampant because it will make all the tenants sick. We don’t respect the choice of letting your house burn to the ground without fighting the fire because it may burn the neighbors’ houses, too.”

During the Brooklyn Nets’ Media Day, Kyrie Irving asserted that he lost a $100 million four-year extension for his vaccine stance. He portrayed himself as a martyr behind a reasoning that’s only remotely accurate. The Nets didn’t want to give Irving a max deal because of a long injury history and unreliability to play even when he’s not injured.

“Uncle Drew” has missed time even before the vaccine hoopla. He went AWOL, partied with family and friends during the pandemic, causing him to miss games and cited trauma during the US Capitol attacks.

As controversial as Irving has been, Kyrie Irving remains one of the biggest superstars in the NBA. He’s also not likely to change his views on what he has been claiming. For many reasons, the seven-time All-Star could be at the center of media attention for the duration of the 2022-23 season.