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'Not an accident': Fans angry over NBA stars Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown's Olympics snub

Fans have questioned decision to drop pro-Palestine NBA stars from USA Olympic team
Dallas Mavericks player Kyrie Irving wearing a keffiyeh during a press conference, on 18 Nov 2023 (X/Screengrab)
By Maysa Mustafa
Published date: 30 July 2024 22:13 BST | Last update: 1 month 2 weeks ago

As the 2024 Olympics kick off, it may come as a surprise that neither of the National Basketball Association (NBA) players that led their teams to the 2024 finals is in Team USA's star-studded lineup.

Jaylen Brown was crowned the NBA Finals' most valuable player after leading the Boston Celtics in their championship win, while his opponent, Kyrie Irving, took the opposing team, the Dallas Mavericks, to their first finals in over a decade and just their third in franchise history. Both were noticeably absent from Team USA’s roster, prompting fans to question the decision. 

Many have taken to social media to slam the move, with people wondering if the snub has more to do with their pro-Palestinian solidarity acts throughout the 2023-2024 season than the team’s cohesiveness. 

The athletes, who once were teammates in the Boston Celtics, have used their platforms in the NBA to shed light on Israel’s ongoing military assault in Gaza, which has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children.

The NBA stars are also outspoken about their Muslim faith and have previously fasted throughout the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, even during games.

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Earlier this season, Irving made waves when he wore a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab scarf that has come to represent the Palestinian cause, to a press conference. The scarf witnessed an uptick in popularity last year, with many wearing it to display their support for Palestinians amid Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.

Irving continued to make his support for Palestine visible throughout the season, whether by wearing a Gaza wristband at every game or donning a keffiyeh with his pre-game outfit.

Similarly, Brown, who broke the record for being the first NBA player to have a $300m contract, wore a “Free Gaza” wristband and changed his profile picture to the word “liberation”, a reference many believe alludes to the liberation of Palestine.

Their acts of solidarity have been met with polarising responses, receiving both international admiration as well as criticism for using their platforms for Palestinian solidarity and leading many to believe that their stance could be seen as a potential issue on the biggest athletic stage there is – the Olympics.

Bigger than us

Back in April, Irving expressed disappointment after finding out he was omitted from the national team but said he was more focused on finishing the NBA season and winning a championship. 

“I wish my brothers well. I just didn’t fit into this team,” he told reporters. “The deliberation process was a tough one. But again, I have nothing but respect for those guys over at USA Basketball."

But in the last couple of weeks, both Irving and Brown have made cryptic posts on X, formerly Twitter, alluding to their snubs being about more than just their athletic ability. 

“Anyone who voices that sports and politics aren’t synonymous is lying to you and themselves,” posted Brown.

Irving reposted Brown’s posts, as well as telling his followers that “this mission is bigger than us”.

The athletes' public statements have added fuel to their supporters’ beliefs that the snubs were influenced by their political beliefs and not on merit.

“Can we talk about both Jaylen Brown and Kyrie being left off team USA? They are both openly Muslim and pro-Palestine. Them being left of[f] the world stage for the olympics is not an accident,” one user posted. “This man was the NBA finals MVP,” he continued, referring to Brown.

“It has to do with Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving being black Muslims and supporting Palestine. They are trying to deplatform politically active players,” another user shared.

Tensions with Nike

Nike, the official Team USA sponsor, has also faced criticism from athletes, leading to ongoing tensions. 

In 2022, Irving was released from the Brooklyn Nets and was suspended from his years-long contract with Nike after he posted a link to a film that perpetuated antisemitic tropes. Nike’s co-founder Phil Knight stated that Irving had “stepped over the line”. 

Brown criticised Nike during the debacle, posting: “Since when did Nike care about ethics?” 

Tensions have not calmed since then, and both athletes have chosen to platform other sneakers – like the Chinese brand Anta Sports – on the court instead.

After the roster for Team USA was released, Brown made his accusation of Nike’s influence on the team known: “Nike, this what we doing?”

This was followed by another post that read: “I’m not scared of your resources.”

Team USA's managing director, Grant Hill, has dismissed Brown’s suggestions and described him as a conspiracy theorist after his recent posts alluding that Nike is at the core of the decision to leave him off the roster, saying that the move was “truly a basketball decision”.

In response, Brown hit back, saying: "Grant Hill calling me a conspiracy theorist is disappointing. I've been a [NBA Players Association] VP since I was 21 years old, I have a great understanding.”

For fans of the athletes, the sentiment is shared. 

“Jaylen Brown not being called up to the Olympic team because he criticised Nike and/or spoke about Palestine is one of the most sickening things I have ever seen,” shared one user.

MEE reached out to both Brown and Hill for comment.

Israeli participation

In January, more than 300 Palestinian sports clubs, youth centres and civil society organisations signed an appeal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asking the sports body to “apply its principles and fulfil its obligations by banning Israel from the next Olympic Games” and starting a boycott campaign called #BanIsrael, which garnered thousands of signatures.
 

The Palestinian sports groups noted that while the IOC promptly imposed sanctions on Russia, it has refused to apply the same standards to Israel’s decades-old occupation, and has sanctioned “sports federations and individual athletes who dare to speak out against Israel’s human rights abuses or who take moral stances in solidarity with Palestinians”.

In a letter sent by the Palestine Olympic Committee to the IOC, Israel is accused of breaching the Olympic Truce, set from 19 July to mid-September, by conducting “bombings on Gaza resulting in civilian casualties” and killing hundreds of athletes and sportspeople.

In an open letter addressed to the IOC chairman, the Palestinian Committee formally requested “the immediate exclusion of Israel from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games”, saying that approximately 400 athletes had been killed since October and many sports facilities destroyed.

Despite these calls, Israel was still allowed to compete.

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