Controversy is nothing new to Kyrie Irving. His massive social media following, which numbers more than 17 million on Instagram and about 4.5 million on Twitter, has allowed him to break all kinds of sports-related news.

Is Kyrie Irving a Jew-hater? Does he believe the flat Earth theory? Why would he support conspiracy theories from Alex Jones and why the hell did he refuse to get vaccinated if it meant he would loses hundreds of millions of dollars?

These are some of the questions that are currently in the spotlight after the Nets point guard recently re-posted an anti-Semitic documentary online.

 that he and his team will donate $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a US organization that works to stop hate speech.

Kyrie did not explicitly apologize for his behavior or vehemently reject having anti-Semitic views during a news conference on Thursday.

Irving declared, “I’m not here to argue over a person or a culture or a religion or what they believe”. Nah, this is what’s here. It’s on a public platform. Did I do anything illegal? Did I hurt anybody? Did I harm anybody? Am I going out and saying that I hate one specific group of people? ... So, I’m not going to stand down on anything that I believe in. I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me. Again, we’ll let you process that on your own time."

 from the Nets was a five-game suspension and a statement that he was "at this time unfit to be involved" with the franchise.

As a result of the perception that he "feels no accountability for his acts," the ADL responded by stating that it was rejecting his gift.

Kyrie subsequently issued a fuller apology that seemed to retract his earlier statements.

Additionally, Nike terminated its sponsorship agreement with the athlete and postponed the launch of its Kyrie 8 shoe.

He is one of the most gifted athletes in his generation and possibly in NBA history. 

Irving, a former champion and seven-time NBA All-Star, has undeniable talent and possesses amazing ball handling and movement skills. 

Add to that the numerous charity donations the player has made off the court over the years, and you have a player that is frequently regarded as a fan favorite. 

He donated a water fountain to a Pakistani village

Sadly, this is where we encounter Kyrie Irving's other side, which is completely at odds with all we have just mentioned.

To be perfectly clear, Kyrie Irving has expressed some views on topics unrelated to basketball that are absurd, outrageous, seriously worrying, and in some cases, downright hateful. 

Kyrie Irving claims that the planet is flat.

Though Irving has a history of criticizing the media, frequently referring to reporters as "pawns" and "puppets" who are engaged in a massive campaign to "control public perception," Irving's worldview came under fire in 2017 when he started to advance the long-debunked theory that the earth is flat. 

If you were unaware of this prior to now, let us to assure you that you did indeed read it correctly. 

The first time Irving asserted that the Earth is flat was in a February 2016 appearance on the podcast 

It wasn't until October 2018 that Irving finally put the matter to rest by apologizing for not realizing the impact that his words had on young kids, forcing teachers to handle the subject as a result.

The global epidemic, which lasted from late 2019 to early 2021, caused a great deal of death, severe economic damage, and psychological repercussions that are still being investigated.

Governments and residents both grappled with lockdowns, mask requirements, and of course, vaccines when they finally became available during that time.

Here comes Kyrie Irving and the ensuing vaccination scandal in New York.

Without going into a detailed breakdown of each and every stage, let me break it down as follows: The state of New York enacted a law requiring everyone to be immunized before entering an arena, including sports and entertainers. 

This meant that if a player was unvaccinated, they could not participate in any home games for the Knicks or Nets.

At the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, Kyrie was one of the most prominent "vaccine deniers"—players who refused to get shot.

He claimed he was acting only in the interest of his health and that he was "not an advocate for any side."

Kyrie missed a significant portion of Brooklyn's campaign as a result of his unwillingness to receive the vaccination. Of course, the question is "why?"

The response to that question once more revealed Irving's apparent adoration of conspiracies. 

 from the time, Irving "recently started following and liking Instagram posts from a conspiracy theorist who claims that "secret societies" are implanting vaccines in a plot to connect black people to a master computer for "a plan of Satan." 

Irving serves as a vice president on the executive committee of the players' union. 

According to several of the dozen or more current players, Hall-of-Famers, league executives, arena staff, and virologists questioned for this story over the last week, this Moderna microchip misinformation campaign has swept across numerous NBA locker rooms and group chats. We'll give you time to consider that. Give it some time.

He returned to the Brooklyn Nets in January after sitting out the first half of the 2021–22 season.

But because New York forbids unvaccinated people from entering indoor stadiums, he was unable to play home games until March.

 the amount of money he lost as a result of his decision to forego the COVID-19 vaccine.

Irving claimed at a press conference that his stance probably cost him more than $100 million in free agency.

Irving stated: "I gave up four years, $100 and something million deciding to be unvaccinated. And that was the decision. It was: contract, get vaccinated or being unvaccinated and there's a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you're gonna be in this league, whether you're gonna be on this team."

Irving probably lost more than $200 million as a result of his decision to forego the vaccination.

Due to New York City regulations in effect at the time, Irving was unable to participate in Brooklyn Nets home games until March of last season. 

For those matches, Irving was not compensated. In addition to the game against the New York Knicks, he missed 35 of 41 home games. Irving earned roughly $425,000 per game last season, so the games he missed in New York City cost him about $15.3 million.

Irving, however, was alluding to the money he dropped in free agency on Monday.

This summer, Irving was eligible for a five-year, $200 million extension with the Nets, but the team opted not to sign him due to their turbulent season.

Irving ultimately chose to sign on for the last year of his deal, a $36.5 million option for the 2022–2023 campaign. Next summer, he'll be a free agent.

Whatever the case, Kyrie Irving's future in the NBA, despite his incredible potential, is currently very much up in the air. 

It remains to be seen if he can return to earth given that it is round and all.

Kyrie Irving: Conspiracies cost him $200M. Will antisemitism end his career?

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