Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Rips Kyrie Irving for Alex Jones Video: ‘You Share His Stench’

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Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called Kyrie Irving a “comical buffoon” after the Brooklyn Nets guard reposted a video of right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his Instagram feed last month.

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

Jones, owner of the far-right website InfoWars, is best known for his self-titled radio show, which features the host promoting debunked conspiracy theories, espousing lies about the 2020 U.S. presidential election and giving platforms to white nationalists.

In August, a judge ordered Jones to pay $45.2 million in damages to the parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook school shooting after Jones perpetuated lies that the tragedy was a false-flag government conspiracy aimed at taking away guns from citizens. Investigators have also sought Jones’ phone records in connection with the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol building.

Jones is one of the most dangerous and powerful sources of misinformation that exists on the internet.

In the clip posted by Irving, Jones lies about a “tyrannical organization calling itself the New World Order” that is “releasing diseases and viruses and plagues upon us.” While Jones originally made the remark in 2002, the updated video is captioned “Never Forget Alex Jones Tried to Warn Us.”

Irving has refused to undergo COVID-19 vaccination and has railed against vaccine mandates. The Nets guard mocked the overwhelmingly negative reaction to his decision to repost Jones’ conspiracy theory:

For a person of Irving’s stature to repost Jones’ rhetoric is, at best, irresponsible. As Abdul-Jabbar notes, Irving’s rhetoric has been “destructive, insensitive and just plain silly” and reflects poorly on the NBA and its players.

The six-time NBA champion called on fans to pressure sponsors into dropping Irving as a spokesperson.

“Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. “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.

“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.”

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne reported Nike is unlikely to continue its sponsorship agreement with Irving after the 2022-23 season. The Nets also refused a long-term commitment to Irving this offseason, leading to him having to return on a deal that expires next summer.