Kyrie Irving, Kanye West, and the Disturbing Surge in Antisemitic Violence
Words have consequences. Kanye West's infamous antisemitic social media outbursts and public comments have been followed by an increase in antisemitic rhetoric, including the self-proclaimed Goyim Defense League standing on a bridge over the 405 highway in Los Angeles making Nazi salutes while holding up banners stating "Kanye is right about the Jews."
Brooklyn Nets' star Kyrie Irving has added fuel to the fire with a tweet promoting a film filled with antisemitic falsehoods. Irving has long trafficked in a variety of bizarre beliefs and
conspiracy theories that comfortably coexist with antisemitism, so it is
not surprising to me that he made his antisemitism explicit in a public
forum. The Nets quickly condemned Irving's antisemitism, and it will be interesting to see what action--if any--the NBA takes. The NBA has repeatedly demonstrated that it cares more about profits than anything else, so it will be fascinating to see if the league considers antisemitism to be something that could have a negative impact on the league's cash flow. It will also be interesting to see if TNT's "Inside the NBA" show weighs in on Irving's tweet. "Inside the NBA" wields a lot of influence and power, and the studio crew of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal take pride in speaking out on important social issues.
Jews in the United States are not only being confronted with hate speech; it is open season on Jewish people in New York City--the city with the largest Jewish population in the world--and across the United States, with the Anti-Defamation League reporting 2717 antisemitic incidents in 2021, a 34 percent increase year over year and the highest number on record since the organization began tracking such incidents in 1979.
Note that media coverage of West's despicable statements often focuses more on how much money his hate speech has allegedly cost him, and less on the influence he wields and how his antisemitism appears to be an outgrowth of antisemitic trends with deep roots in the Black community; in 1998, the Anti-Defamation League reported survey results noting that antisemitism is nearly four times more prevalent among Black Americans than among white Americans, and there is no indication that the situation has improved in the past quarter century.
While most white people may rightly consider Louis Farrakhan to be an extremist figure who not only spews antisemitism but also harbors bizarre views--including that white people were created via eugenics by an evil scientist named Yakub--there is a tendency to ignore or downplay just how popular Farrakhan is within the Black community. The false, antisemitic tropes that he regularly spews about Jewish money and Jewish power resonate within the Black community, and are often repeated by prominent Black people who are not overtly members of his Nation of Islam, including Ice Cube, DeSean Jackson, and Stephen Jackson. Four years ago, LeBron James tweeted about "Jewish money" and then issued the classic "If I offended anyone" non-apology apology. I would not equate James with West or Irving--whose words seem to have a harsher and more malicious intent--but I would not dismiss James' comment as benign; fears and misconceptions about Jewish money and Jewish power drive antisemitic thought, which then becomes antisemitic action.
Some people counter that Farrakhan has some good ideas and important messages. That is the equivalent of saying that Adolf Hitler had some good ideas "but went too far," a notion spouted by many antisemites (including former Cincinnati Reds' owner Marge Schott). Farrakhan's primary message is hatred. Any other message that he has does not change that essential truth. If you think that Farrakhan must be given a platform because he allegedly has some good ideas, then you forfeit your right to criticize anyone who spews other forms of hatred but has ideas that some people consider to be good or worth considering.
West's comments and the lies in the film promoted by Irving have their foundation in the antisemitism of Farrakhan, Kwame Toure, and other figures who may not be much noticed in the white community but have significant support in the Black community. One of the themes of this antisemitism revolves around comparing the horrors of slavery to the horrors of the Holocaust. Farrakhan and others assert--without any credible evidence--that Jewish people dominated the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
There is also a popular antisemitic trope belittling the Holocaust with
false numerical equivalences, such as 400 years matter more than six
years, or 100 million lives matter more than six million lives--which is a despicable way to talk about human suffering; in this context, it is worth noting that Judaism teaches that a person who saves one life has saved an entire world, emphasizing that every life has immense value.
A person with even a superficial knowledge of history can see how absurd such accusations and assertions are, but we live in a society rife with historical ignorance. The first thing to consider is that in 1933 (prior to Adolf Hitler's rise to power and the resulting Holocaust during which the Nazis killed six million Jews), 9.5 million of the world's 15.3 million Jews lived in Europe. In other words, deep into the 20th century most Jews had probably never met a Black person face to face, let alone played a major role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade dating back hundreds of years. The Jewish people were a persecuted minority in Europe for two millennia before this hatred culminated in the Holocaust. Jews were struggling for their individual and collective survival, not plotting to enslave Black people. It is worth noting that Farrakhan and others who promote antisemitic falsehoods about slavery conspicuously ignore the prominent role that Arabs and Muslims played not only in the trans-Atlantic slave trade but in the persecution of Black Africans to this day. The second thing to consider is that the Nazis' explicit goal was to kill every Jewish man, woman, and child who they could capture. That goal, combined with the technological prowess to make it a realistic possibility, is unique in human history. In contrast, slavery--while deplorable--is unfortunately a common theme throughout human history: people of all races and nationalities have conquered other races/nations and then enslaved the conquered for economic profit. Again, it cannot be emphasized enough how horrific slavery is--but it is not historically unique.
Further, if the Jewish people had the power so often attributed to them, then the Jewish people would have used that power to stop the Holocaust or at least get rid of the immigration quotas that prevented Jewish people from seeking sanctuary in the United States (and other countries) during the Holocaust.
Comparing one people's tragedy with another people's tragedy is not a productive exercise--but when antisemites insist on not only diminishing the horror of the Holocaust but then perversely blaming Jewish people for the trans-Atlantic slave trade it becomes a moral obligation to speak the truth about both historical tragedies.
My Jewish ancestors did not enslave Black people; my Jewish ancestors faced genocidal hatred in Europe, and not all of them made it out of Europe alive. Kanye West and Kyrie Irving are spitting on the graves of Holocaust victims while pretending to be righteous advocates of free speech and alternative viewpoints. Antisemitic hate speech is not an alternative viewpoint; it is the first step toward violence, culminating in genocide, as history has repeatedly shown.
Black antisemitism is not a comfortable subject to discuss, but it is an even more uncomfortable experience for the less than six million American Jews who live alongside a much larger minority community that often lamentably focuses more on attacking Jews than on making common cause with Jews to fight hatred. Every time someone like Kanye West and Kyrie Irving spews antisemitism, racists like David Duke and the Goyim Defense League are thrilled--they hate Blacks and Jews equally, and would like nothing more than to see those communities at war.
Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen had a personal, annual tradition of visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. during his playing career, and he once explained why this was so important and meaningful to him:
I brought a friend of mine and he was an older black gentleman. And he,
you know, he walked through and he had so many questions, and he
couldn't believe that some of the things that he saw had taken place.
And after we got done, we walked out and the first thing he questioned
was, "What about slavery?" He was an older gentleman but, you know, it
kind of made him angry, because he wanted to see something like that
about the plight of the black people in America, about slavery. And I
told him…I said, "This is about slavery." This is about people being
enslaved and people being annihilated. And this is a lesson, so slavery
doesn't happen anymore, so people don't believe that they're better than
the next person. This is all about slavery. It just so happens to be
spoken through the words of the Jewish people in the Holocaust, people
who the Nazis tried to annihilate.
You take any person through the Museum, based on their experiences and
their life, they're going to see different things. And they're going to
talk about the things they want to talk about. But I think the most
important thing is communication. That's a powerful, powerful tool, just
talking about it and trying to understand it, and learn from it, and
grow.
It would be nice to think that Ray Allen speaks for the majority of Black people, and that he is setting an example that others follow, but I am not so optimistic. Kanye West scoffed when the L.A. Holocaust Museum invited him to take a tour, and the museum was then barraged with antisemitic messages for having the audacity of trying to educate a person whose ignorance is breathtaking (and frightening, considering how many followers and supporters he has on social media and throughout the world). Antisemitism from the Left is a surging phenomenon, and Leftist movements that purport to espouse "progressive" anti-racist values have made a point of emphasizing that they view Jewish people as oppressors, not victims. Many organizations that are ostensibly focused on being pro-Black are rife with antisemitism, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter (to be clear, I am attacking antisemitism within BLM, and I am NOT attacking the notion that Black Lives Matter). I fear that the schism between the Black community and the Jewish people is being deepened in a way that will not be easy to fix.
I am focusing on Black antisemitism in this article not because it is morally worse than white antisemitism, but because Black antisemitism is tragic and because it fills me with profound sadness. Black people and Jewish people have suffered mightily throughout history, and to the extent that Black people lash out at Jewish people as opposed to working with Jewish people the suffering of both communities will be multiplied, not mitigated.
Labels: antisemitism, Kanye West, Kyrie Irving, Louis Farrakhan
posted by David Friedman @ 1:53 PM
Lakers Bench Westbrook, Lose Again
Regardless of what the L.A. Lakers do, they are not going to convince any intelligent person that Russell Westbrook is the main reason that they are struggling. The Lakers lost with Westbrook out of the lineup due to injury, and on Friday night they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-102 after removing Westbrook from the starting lineup. Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 29 points, Rudy Gobert tallied 22 points plus a game-high 21 rebounds, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for the Timberwolves. LeBron James, lauded as a "pass first" player, fired up a game-high 24 field goal attempts, made 10 of them, and is now 28 points closer to breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's regular season career scoring record.
You might get your press pass revoked if you mention that James had a -13 plus/minus number and that he shot just 1-6 from three point range. James is in remarkable physical condition considering his age and longevity. Is it too much to ask him to drive to the hoop and stop shooting so many three pointers? James is shooting .244 from three point range this season, and it's not like he is drawing a lot of defensive attention when he pulls up from the logo; opposing teams breathe a sigh of relief every time James takes a long jump shot, and that has been the case throughout his career--but, since arriving in L.A., James has vastly increased his three point attempts while decreasing his forays into the paint.
Five games into the season, Anthony Davis is living up to the "Street Clothes" nickname bestowed by Charles Barkley, sitting out due to a sore back. Meanwhile, each of the Lakers' five starters had negative plus/minus numbers versus the Timberwolves. Starting guards Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV combined for 12 points, 5-14 field goal shooting, and a -26 plus/minus number. Remember, last season Westbrook averaged 18.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, and 7.1 apg in what was considered an off year for him. That would be a career year for Beverley or Walker IV, yet there are many media members who can keep a straight face while saying that it is smart for the Lakers to bench Westbrook and start those guys.
Prior to Friday's game, Westbrook had logged 1007 consecutive regular
season starts, the third longest active streak behind only Chris Paul
and LeBron James. It would be inconceivable to bench Paul or James, but Westbrook has not cultivated the power and media support that they have.
Westbrook cannot singlehandedly fix this train wreck but the Lakers did not lose any ground during his 33 minutes versus the Timberwolves, as he finished second on the team in scoring (18 points on 6-17 field goal shooting) while tying for the team lead in rebounds (eight), and logging a plus/minus number of 0. So much is said about Westbrook's shooting, but he won an MVP and two scoring titles despite not being a great shooter. Westbrook's career-long greatness was not predicated on his shooting, and the Lakers would still be sorry even if Westbrook were, to use James' term, a "laser" from long distance.
Media members have repeatedly reported that the L.A. Lakers are trying to trade Westbrook. Assuming that those reports are accurate, it would be a strange strategy for the Lakers to diminish Westbrook's value while placing him on the trading block--but the Lakers have employed a lot of strange strategies since James signed with the team in 2018. Although the Lakers won the 2020 championship as James captured the Finals MVP, the Lakers twice missed the playoffs and once lost in the first round in his other three seasons in L.A. Put another way, other than a championship won at the end of a suspended and shortened season finished playing in the Orlando "bubble," the Lakers have won two playoff games in the past four seasons. As player/general manager, James has assembled a roster in which the majority of the players are represented by Klutch Sports, the agency run by his friend Rich Paul. If James is concerned about a lack of "lasers" on that roster, he has only himself to blame.
This season is about one goal for the Lakers: making sure that James breaks Abdul-Jabbar's record while wearing a Lakers uniform. If the goal were to win a championship--or even just be a playoff team--then the roster would have been built differently, and James would be playing differently. The Lakers bet their future on being able to win a championship with James and Davis leading the way, and that bet paid off, but it will be a surprise if the Lakers win another title--or even a playoff series--any time soon.
It is fascinating to watch James demote Westbrook to the bench rather than relinquish his monopoly on the ball and his stranglehold on pace of play. When the Lakers acquired Westbrook, I naively assumed that this meant that Westbrook would run a fast break attack with James and Davis filling the wings. Westbrook thrives in a fast-paced game when he can attack the hoop to score or dish to open teammates. Westbrook is not a shooting guard, and playing off of the ball is not his strong suit. As has been the case throughout James' career, his All-Star teammates have to adjust to him, not the other way around. James has won four championships because he is one of the greatest players of all-time, but no All-Star caliber player has consistently played better alongside James than he played before or after playing with James.
In contrast, Kevin Durant won his only regular season MVP while playing alongside Westbrook. Paul George finished third in regular season MVP voting playing alongside Westbrook (he never finished higher than ninth sans Westbrook), and James Harden had his second best scoring average plus his third best field goal percentage since leaving Oklahoma City in his one season playing alongside Westbrook in Houston (they also played together in Oklahoma City, when Harden had his most efficient shooting season). In his lone season playing alongside Westbrook, Bradley Beal averaged 30.5 ppg, nearly five ppg more than he had ever averaged before.
Westbrook has been the best player on playoff teams, and he has proven that he not only can play well with other All-Stars but that he can bring the best out of those All-Stars. James has lifted his teams because of his singular greatness, but he has not lifted the individual performances of his All-Star teammates.
Yet we are supposed to believe that the Lakers' failures are primarily Westbrook's fault!
The Lakers can start Westbrook, bench Westbrook, or trade Westbrook, but nothing that they do with Westbrook is going to fundamentally alter the way that this team is constructed or the way that this team will play as long as James is chasing Abdul-Jabbar's record and Davis is satisfied with his one championship ring plus his 75th Anniversary Team jacket.
Labels: Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Karl Anthony-Towns, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert, Russell Westbrook
posted by David Friedman @ 12:17 AM
The L.A. Lakers Have 99 Problems and Russell Westbrook Is Not One of Them
The Denver Nuggets beat the L.A. Lakers 110-99 on Wednesday night, improving to 3-2 while sending the 0-4 Lakers to the Western Conference's basement. Two-time regular season MVP Nikola Jokic authored an almost flawless performance: 31 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, four steals, 12-17 field goal shooting. His +28 plus/minus number was four better than anyone else's, and a reminder that the Nuggets are very good when he is on the court but not particularly good when he is not on the court.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 22 points and 14 rebounds but he attempted just one free throw in 36 minutes, avoiding contact like a dieter avoids donuts. Every time someone bumps into Davis he looks like he will need immediate hospitalization. LeBron James moved 19 points closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's regular season career scoring record while shooting 8-21 from the field and amassing nine assists, eight turnovers, and seven rebounds. Perhaps he is the oldest player in NBA history to almost have a quadruple double with turnovers as the fourth statistical category.
Russell Westbrook sat out due to a hamstring injury. His replacement in the Lakers' starting lineup, Austin Reaves, produced eight points, two rebounds, and one assist in 26 minutes with a -23 plus/minus number, surpassing Davis' -22 and threatening Lonnie Walker IV's -27 for team-worst honors. The notion that the Lakers would be better off without Westbrook fell apart faster than an old heap being wrecked in a demolition derby. To paraphrase an old joke, the Lakers are just two players away from being good: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Replacing Westbrook with any of the various names that have been bandied about in trade rumors will not help the Lakers at all, because the Lakers' problem is not the presence of Westbrook or the absence of Buddy Hield (or whoever the "experts" are salivating over this week).
Uninformed media members use any excuse to bash Westbrook,
but the reality is that the Lakers are not built to win, and they are
not built to make any player other than James look good. We are not
watching the L.A. Lakers who used to be committed to competing for NBA
titles above all else; we are watching the L.A. Lakers who are committed
to James setting the regular season career scoring record in a Lakers
uniform, which James will do this season unless he gets hurt or
experiences a sudden, dramatic, and unexpected loss of skills.
Meanwhile, Davis won an NBA title in 2020, and he was voted on to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021; it does not appear that any amount of money, praise, criticism, or prayer will induce him to play hard again for more than five minutes at a time. He is satisfied with his career, and content to collect NBA paychecks for as long as at least one team will pay him. Davis is tall, athletic, and skilled. He could be an MVP, and he could be deserving of being ranked among the top 75 players of all-time--but he is not going to win an MVP, and he is going to be remembered as one of the worst choices for the 75th Anniversary Team.
It is easy to forget that less than a year and a half ago Westbrook set the career triple double record during a season in which he averaged a triple double for the fourth time in his career. The only other player who ever averaged a triple double in a season is Oscar Robertson, who did it once. After Westbrook averaged a triple double for the Washington Wizards during the 2021 season, he led them to a Play-In Tournament win over the Indiana Pacers.
Westbrook is not as good now as he was in his prime--but how many 34 year
old point guards are? I suspect that if Westbrook escapes the L.A.
LeBrons and goes to a team that is trying to win then he will average
something along the lines of 22-7-7 while helping that team qualify for
the playoffs. In case you forgot, Westbrook averaged 18.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg,
and 7.1 apg last season--an All-Star season for anyone else, but
supposedly a terrible season for him as the third option on a team not
designed around his skill set strengths.
Juan Toscano-Anderson, who joined the Lakers this season after playing for Golden State's 2022 championship team, recently said that Westbrook ranks among his top five teammates ever, declaring, "He's always so positive, which is kind of funny based off all the stuff he goes through on a day to day basis." That sentiment echoes what Westbrook's teammates have said about him throughout his career. He works hard, he is loyal, and he does not set himself apart from the team.
Despite how hard Westbrook plays every game, he is generally durable. Westbrook is a 15 year veteran who played in at least 80 out of 82 games in seven of his first 14
seasons in addition to playing all 66 games in the lockout-shortened 2012 season. As a 33 year old high energy point guard last season he
led the Lakers with 78 games played (James played in 56 games, and Davis
played in 40 games).
Free Russell Westbrook! Westbrook deserves better than how he has been treated in L.A., and it would be amusing to watch the "experts" backpedaling and making excuses after the Lakers remain terrible in the wake of his departure. Hopefully, Westbrook will finish his career playing for a functional NBA team that appreciates his skills, his work ethic, and his loyalty as opposed to being the scapegoat for the sideshow catastrophe that the Lakers have become.
Labels: Anthony Davis, Denver Nuggets, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook
posted by David Friedman @ 1:58 AM
