Today I am not a free speech advocate. I am woke.
Last week, Kyrie Irving, a basketball player for the New Jersey Nets, was fined by the league for not talking to the media, which is in the terms of his employment by the league. The NBA, as a corporate entity, made over $8 billion last year.
This was his response through social media:
"I pray we utilize the ‘fine money’ for the marginalized communities in need, especially seeing where our world is presently. [I am] here for Peace, Love, and Greatness. So stop distracting me and my team, and appreciate the Art. We move different over here. I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more."
Oh you don't talk to pawns? This year you made $33 million dollars, the average sportswriter makes $35,000 a year. Looks like Mr. Kyrie Irving is flaunting his RICH PRIVILEGE.
Instead of you "praying" that the NBA donates fine money, why don't you talk to the media and donate the money you would have paid in fines to Black Lives Matter.
As a matter of fact, You say you support BLM? Did you donate, at least, 10% to the cause? Or are you one of those fake athletes that claims you help by raising 'awareness?' (Translation: NO MONEY!)
BLM wants to defund the police? I never saw you march. I never saw you at a rally. I hope you don't live in one of those gated communities with a guard at the entrance. I also understand you have your own security detail. You are flaunting your RICH PRIVILEGE.
This is your mansion? No, this is your OLD MANSION. This is the NON-GREEN friendly home BEFORE the 4 year, $136 million contract extension. Where do you live now? Not public knowledge. Convenient.
How do you get to work? You had 6 CARS on your rookie contract in 2015? Do you know that between your personal fleet, which has grown to god-knows-how-many-cars, to you flying to games in a private jet, that your CARBON FOOTPRINT, just this year, is more than the average American's across their entire lifetime?
You claim that BLM is a top priority? What, through Zoom meetings and Instagram posts?
You didn't want to play in the NBA bubble until racism was solved? Noble. Until people realized that you were injured and you weren't playing anyhow. Nothing is stopping you from walking away from the Nets, RIGHT NOW, and solving racism. NOTHING.
You can don monastic robes and walk away from the NBA with $100,000,000 in career earnings, making you the very definition of the 1%. What? You're going to keep playing and putting more money in billionaire Joseph Tsai's pockets?
Oh, you gave money to struggling WNBA players? That sounds like a token gesture to me. The women's national soccer team is fighting for equal pay comparative to the men's national team. Where does Kyrie Irving stand on the position of equal pay for WNBA players?
What college did you go to again? Duke? You chose Duke on the heels of the Duke Lacrosse Scandal? You got a full scholarship to a Basketball Factory. Why didn't you choose somewhere where cultural diversity was a priority, like Rice? Then, before you could actually help change the world by getting a Post-Doctoral Fellowship, you bolted for piles of cash.
Is your college degree in something helpful to society like Cultural Anthropology? No, you got your degree with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A degree in Capitalism.
The optics here are that you're just another MAN with RICH PRIVILEGE.
Owwww, ow, ow. My head hurts so bad from being woke.