Kyrie Irving not willing to apologize, despite Commissioner Adam Silver's requests: "I'm a beacon of light, I'm not afraid of these mics, these cameras"

Kyrie Irving's media blackout officially ended Thursday morning. After participating in a verbal sparring session with reporter Nick Friedell earlier this week, the Nets put a gag order on Irving. Nets GM Sean Marks hoped that cooler heads would prevail before allowing Irving to speak to the media again.

Irving addressed a large group of reporters about his controversial post on social media. He came under fire for sharing a link on Twitter to an antisemitic book and movie called "Hebrews To Negreos." Irving still refuses to apologize for his actions.

Kyrie Irving flipped the situation around on reporters, questioning them about the death of his black ancestors. He referred to himself as a "beacon of light" and pointed out that he had nothing to do with the creation of the book/movie.

"When I repeat myself that I'm not going to stand down. It has nothing to do with dismissing any other race or people. I'm just proud of my heritage and what we've been through."

And the fact that this has pitted me against the Jewish community. I'm here answering questions of whether or not I'm sorry. On something I didn't create. It was something I shared."

He continued:

"I'm not here to compare anyone's atrocities or tragic events that their families have dealt with. I'm just here to continue to expose things that our world continues to put in darkness. I'm a light, I'm a beacon of light. That's what I'm here to do."

"It's unfortunate timing that we're in but I'm glad that I can stand on the truth. I'm not afraid of these mics, these cameras."

Iriving's comments can be seen in the video below, beginning around the one-minute mark.

Where do the NBA and Kyrie Irving go from here?

Kyrie Irving took full responsibility for what he posted. But he never explicitly apologized. He tip-toed around the subject and remained committed to his point of view.

Irving agreed that there were some "questionable" and "untrue" aspects of the movie he shared. He reminded everyone that just because he posts something, it doesn't mean he fully agrees with the subject matter.

During his back-and-forth with Friedell, Irving questioned why people thought he was promoting the movie. In his eyes, a repost is not the same as a promotion.

Following his repost, Google searches for the film's title skyrocketed. Whether Kyrie Irving intended to promote the film or not is irrelevant. The fact is that the controversy has made people interested about the movie.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver plans to sit down with the embattled star. It remains to be seen whether Irving will be fined or suspended for his antics.