sport news Celtics' Jaylen Brown says he does NOT back 'anti-Semitic' group demonstrating ... trends now
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has denied supporting a sect of the Black Hebrew Israelite movement after admittedly misidentifying the allegedly anti-Semitic group demonstrating in support of Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving outside Barclays Center on Sunday.
Footage of the demonstration surfaced on Twitter, showing dozens of purple-clad men marching outside Barclays Center in support of Irving, who was returning from an eight-game ban for promoting an allegedly anti-Semitic film produced by Black Hebrew Israelite author and director, Ronald Dalton Jr.
Brown has steadfastly supported Irving, his former Celtics teammate, and did so again on Sunday, writing 'Energy' in response to the footage.
But as Brown explained Monday, he thought the men in purple shirts were from the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, a nationwide group formed at Howard University that has included such notable African Americans as poet Langston Hughes, bandleader Count Basie, and the Reverend Jessie Jackson.
'I saw a large group of our people from our community showing support for [Kyrie] and his return,' Brown said Monday. 'Me being proud of that support and being proud of our community for doing that does not mean I endorse or celebrate some of the things that were being done or being said.
'My instinct when I saw this was I didn't notice which group it was. I just noticed the support, and that's what I commented on. I reemphasize that I don't think that everything that is said or being done or being said is something I endorse or represent.'
Hundreds of members of 'Israel United in Christ' gather outside the Barclays Center before the Brooklyn Nets game against the Memphis Grizzlies in Brooklyn. The organization was there to express their support for Kyrie Irving after he served an 8-game ban for a controversial tweet
Jaylen Brown (left) has steadfastly supported Kyrie Irving (right), his former Celtics teammate. The Nets suspended Irving earlier this month after he tweeted a link to a film containing anti-Semitic tropes supporting the existence of a supposed Jewish conspiracy for world domination. That film, 'Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,' is based on a Black Hebrew Israelite book. Irving returned from his ban Sunday after his belated apology and meeting with Jewish leaders, as well as meeting other requirements set forth by the team
Brown also offered an explanation on Twitter. 'I was not aware of what specific group that was outside of Barclay's Center tonight,' he wrote on Sunday evening. 'I was celebrating the unification of our people welcoming the return of Kyrie to the court, first glance I thought it was a known fraternity the (C/Que's) Omega psi phi (step'n) showing
