Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rips Kyrie Irving As Poor Role Model

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blasted Nets star Kyrie Irving on Sunday, calling the Brooklyn point guard a poor role model for young people after he posted a 2002 video clip of Infowars founder Alex Jones on Instagram last month.

Abdul-Jabbar, who also has criticized Irving for his stance against vaccine mandatest, wrote in a Substack article that Irving’s decision to circulate the snippet of the infamous conspiracy theorist was “destructive, insensitive, and just plain silly.” In the video, Jones suggests that global leaders have formed a “New World Order” that releases plagues to profit on the misfortune of others.

“Alex Jones is one of the most despicable human beings alive and to associate with him means you share his stench,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.

“Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes,” the Basketball Hall of Famer continued. “When I look at some of the athletes who have used their status to actually improve society—Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, 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.”

For the better part of the past year, Irving has been a subject of criticism for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine after he refused to abide by the New York City vaccine mandate for private employers. The NBA adhered to the local government’s decision, which rendered the 30-year-old guard ineligible to play in the Nets’ home arena in Brooklyn. 

Though the the mandate was changed allowing Irving to play in the latter stages of the 2021–22 NBA season, the Nets star referred to himself as a “martyr” and a “provocateur” for his stance in a May interview on The ETCs With Kevin Durant and Eddie Gonzalez.

Abdul-Jabbar voiced his displeasure with Irving’s position on the vaccine last October, calling the stance of the Nets guard “a reckless choice.” Though he admits to understanding that Irving is considered a role model by many young people, Abdul-Jabbar said he feels the need to push back against Irving’s “destructive behavior.”

“Irving does not seem to have the capacity to change, but we have the capacity to keep fighting against his brand of destructive behavior,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “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.”