Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving said he did not request that a courtside sign be removed during a game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City this week, even after it sparked an interaction between the player and a prominent Jazz fan who wanted to see Irving play in person following Irving’s 2022 suspension with the Brooklyn Nets for posting a link to an antisemitic film on his social media.
Avremi Zippel, a rabbi who has held Jazz season tickets since 2016 and who lit a menorah during a halftime Hanukkah ceremony at a Jazz-Knicks game in December, sat courtside Monday night with a sign that said “I’m a Jew and I’m proud.” The message was a reference to widespread backlash that resulted from Irving’s post and comments that led to an eight-game suspension, an eventual apology and the cancellation of his Nike sponsorship.
After an exchange with Irving during the first quarter, Zippel was asked by Jazz officials to switch seats a few rows back or stop displaying the sign. Zippel, Irving and two other people familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Athletic that the Jazz decided to ask Zippel to stop displaying the sign after Mavericks security raised the issue with Jazz security.
Zippel, in an interview with The Athletic and in a post on Instagram, said he had taken a picture with his group, which included his father, brother and brother-in-law, holding the signs on the court before the game and held the signs in front of arena security without any problems as the game began.
Then, during the first quarter, Irving came near his group while inbounding a ball, saw the sign and said, “Nice, I’m Jewish too,” Zippel said.
“And I said, ‘Cool. Happy New Year, buddy,’” Zippel said. “He inbounded the ball, and as he dribbled up the court, he called over his shoulder, ‘Don’t gotta bring a sign like that to a game.’”
A few minutes later, Zippel was asked to remove the signs from courtside.
Irving told The Athletic after the Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night that he had not requested that the signs be removed. “I wish him and his family well,” Irving said “No disrespect going his way. That’s not my MO.”
In a statement, the Jazz said the signs were removed because they interfered with the play of the game, and that the team had no issue with the message on the signs.
“The issue was the disruptive interaction caused by the usage of the signs, not the content of the signs,” the team said in its statement.
Sports leagues across the world have different policies regarding signs in arenas. The NBA’s code of conduct sets guidelines for the size of signs (none bigger than 11 inches by 17 inches), but does not mention the content of signs. That guidance is far less restrictive than that of the International Olympic Committee, which more widely prohibits fans from expressing support for any causes during the Olympics.
The NBA, in response to a message seeking comment, referred back to its written code of conduct.
Zippel said he had planned to go to the game for a while because he thought it was important to attend a game Irving played in, to be “fully present as a visible Jew.” He said he reviewed the Jazz sign policy before deciding to attend and got mixed messages during the game about the rules for signs. He said he was told by a Jazz executive that the team had made its decision prompted by the courtside interaction with Irving.
“I think that it’s a limitless rule, and that’s kind of been the most frustrating part beyond the interaction with Kyrie and the fact that a sign like that bothers him,” Zippel said. “The confusion from the organization has been, I think, the most disappointing part.”
(Photo: Alex Goodlett / Getty Images)
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
