Kyrie Irving Apologizes, Saying He Doesn’t ‘Condone’ Hate Speech
By Dakota Johnson
Nov 19, 2014, 5:49 p.m.
LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron James is still under the microscope following his infamous and lengthy tirade against the Golden State Warriors.
The Miami Heat forward has been under criticism since the Nov. 16 outburst, particularly among those in the league who want him to be held accountable.
On Tuesday, James apologized to the league for his remarks, in a statement obtained by The Vertical.
“On behalf of everyone at the Cleveland Cavaliers, I would like to sincerely apologize for my comments and actions. I am truly sorry for the pain and upset this has caused my teammates, coaches and the organization.”
In the past days, James has talked to several people in the wake of the row, including Heat owner Dan Gilbert, general manager Chris Grant and coach Erik Spoelstra.
According to sources, James, during Tuesday’s session with Gilbert and his wife, is said to have told the owner he doesn’t condone hate speech.
In a rare move, James also said that he is “a lot of different than I was yesterday.”
James’ comment came after an emotional and well-received news conference in which he apologized for the comments he made about his former teammate David Lee on national TV.
The Heat forward issued a series of apologies and said he wanted to offer an apology to anyone who has ever been harmed by his words.
“My actions were poor, my words were poor, and I am truly sorry. I will never say anything else like it again,” James said. “When my actions and words were brought to my attention, I immediately issued an apology on behalf of me, my brother and everyone in the Cleveland family.”
“Athletes have the right to express their beliefs without being judged or attacked for them,” James added.
James has continued to stay busy in recent days, with both his film and his pregame ritual as the Heat’s starting point guard.