Kyrie Irving’s recent endorsement of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones doesn’t sit well with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Last month, the Brooklyn Nets point guard took to his Instagram Story to share a 2002 video in which Jones rants about secret societies and government overlords. “Never Forget – Alex Jones Tried To Warn Us,” Irving captioned the clip.
In his latest post on Substack, Kareem called out Kyrie for his behavior, accusing him of tarnishing the “reputations of all athletes.” “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. 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.”
Kareem 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.”
The Los Angeles Lakers legend subsequently hopped on Twitter to promote the article, writing, “Let’s make sure our kids have the right kind of role models. Kyrie Irving should reconsider his behavior because young people look up to him.”
It didn’t take long before basketball fans jumped into the conversation, with some people defending Kyrie, while others claimed Kareem’s comments were warranted. A few Twitter users called out Abdul-Jabbar for being a hypocrite, posting videos of controversial moments that took place during Kareem’s NBA career.
Scroll down to see some of the Twitter reactions to Kareem’s Kyrie comments.
