On Wednesday, a representative for Kyrie Irving refuted claims that the Dallas Mavericks star instructed security at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City to instruct four rabbis seated courtside to remove their “I’m a Jew and I’m proud” banners.
Rabbi Avremi Zippel, an ardent supporter of the Utah Jazz, hypothesized that he and the other rabbis desired Irving’s presence at the game as a way to demonstrate their solidarity in light of previous disputes between Irving and the Jewish community.
Conversely, Irving was accused by Zippel of remarking about the sign during the game, and he allegedly approached Mavericks security to lodge a complaint. Zippel reported that Jazz security approached them at that moment to inspect their tickets and instructed them to put away the signs.
Irving’s representative refuted the allegations.
Tuesday, the Jazz issued a statement regarding the incident.
“The Utah Jazz adhere to a code of conduct that prohibits distractions and disruptions during games.” “We will request that they remove any sign that becomes distracting or sparks interaction with a player, regardless of where they are in the arena,” the team stated.
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“A group sitting courtside during the first quarter of yesterday’s Jazz game against the Dallas Mavericks was disrupted by an out-of-bounds player whose signs incited a distraction-inducing interaction with a player, thereby impeding the flow of play. The following standard security procedure required the attendees to remove their signs. The part-time employee who misinformed the supporters that the issue was with the sign’s content was in fact mistaken.
