NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kyrie Irving is a 'comical buffoon'

Six-time NBA champion and MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar condemned Kyrie Irving's recent behavior as "destructive, insensitive, and just plain silly" on his Substack after Irving shared a clip from right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. 

He wrote:

Alex Jones is one of the most despicable human beings alive and to associate with him means you share his stench.

Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people who look up to athletes.

Last year, Kareem wrote "Should We Leave Kyrie Alone?" There he argued that NBA players who refused to condemn Irving's decision to sit out rather than get vaccinated were "signaling passive support, which is as damaging as joining him on the bench as a vaccine-denier." With the NBA's vaccine mandate gone, Irving will likely return to full-time play this year, though his anti-vaxx sentiments and general conspiracy-mongering — like saying that the Earth is flat — never took any days off.

Abdul-Jabbar concluded that people upset with Kyrie's vaccine denial or Jones support also shouldn't remain passive:

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 reported that Nike was ready to drop Kyrie after this season, despite the popularity of his shoes. Irving still has deals with Pepsi and 2K Sports, but it's not clear if any of those deals are in danger due to Kyrie's controversies. One thing is fairly certain, however: Don't expect an "Uncle Drew" sequel.