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Kyrie Irving traded to Dallas Mavericks, whose Jewish owner Mark Cuban spoke out on antisemitism scandal
(JTA) — The Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, a team whose Jewish owner had spoken up about the star guard’s antisemitism controversy last year.
Mark Cuban, known as one of the NBA’s most outspoken team owners and as a star of the hit TV show “Shark Tank,” did not comment on the trade that was the talk of the league on Sunday. But in the fall, after Irving promoted an antisemitic film on his Twitter account and at first refused to apologize for the tweet, Cuban said the eight-time All-Star was “not educated about the impact” of his online platform.
“If there was just some dude on the street corner saying what Kyrie said, or Kanye said,” Cuban said in an interview with the RealLyfe Productions YouTube channel, referencing the rapper Kanye West’s months-long antisemitism scandal, “you’d just assume they’re crazy and keep on walking, right? But when they’re a celebrity, you can’t do that, because you have a platform.”
Cuban, whose paternal grandparents had their last name changed from Chabenisky at Ellis Island after emigrating from Russia, said in the interview that he dealt with antisemitism growing up. He said that he did not think Irving had a “bad heart” in the wake of the scandal.
“I don’t think he’s one of those guys that would be in Charlottesville marching, chanting ‘Jews will not replace us.’ I don’t think that’s him. But I think he’s got a lot to learn,” Cuban said in the RealLyfe interview.
Irving’s promotion of a Black Hebrew Israelite film that made the false claim that Jews dominated the slave trade — and the way he initially defended the move — sent shockwaves beyond the sports world in late October. While an array of public figures and sports commentators immediately called on the Nets to discipline Irving, most of the league’s Jewish team owners did not comment on the fallout, and Adam Silver, the league’s Jewish commissioner, did not meet with Irving for about two weeks after his tweet.
Cuban more harshly criticized West over his repeated antisemitic statements in the fall, calling the rapper’s words “abhorrent” and referenced his mental health struggles.
Some NBA fans pointed out the new Cuban-Irving partnership on Twitter.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is Jewish. And he just traded for Kyrie Irving.
— Design MLB (@DesignMLB) February 5, 2023
Mark Cuban is Jewish.
That’s how good Kyrie Irving is at basketball.
— adil (@iamadilq) February 6, 2023
Kyrie Irving when he finds out Mark Cuban is Jewish and not Cuban
pic.twitter.com/UxeA4Vrz22
— Nathan T (@TikTikBoom_) February 5, 2023
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The post Kyrie Irving traded to Dallas Mavericks, whose Jewish owner Mark Cuban spoke out on antisemitism scandal appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Exclusive: Israeli Officials Harshly Critical of Steve Witkoff’s Influence on US Policy on Gaza, Iran, i24NEWS Told
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Amid growing disagreements with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close to the PM Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly prevail in his decision-making.”
This criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
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EU Warns of Downward Spiral After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over US President Donald Trump‘s vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X.
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss their response to the tariff threat.
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Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against Its Policy
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Haseeb Alwazeer/File Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in Gaza.
Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli‑Cypriot billionaire; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020.
Washington this week also announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s plan, announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The first members of the so-called Board of Peace – to be chaired by Trump and tasked with supervising Gaza’s temporary governance – were also named. Members include Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.