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Oct. 29 (UPI) \u2014<\/span> The NBA released a statement Saturday denouncing hate speech after Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets appeared to promote a film that has been described as antisemitic.<\/p>\n Irving had shared a tweet Thursday with a link to the film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which some have said is antisemitic.\n<\/p>\n \u201cHate speech of any kind is unacceptable and runs counter to the NBA\u2019s values of equality, inclusion and respect,\u201d the NBA statement reads. The NBA did not mention Irving by name.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe we all have a role to play in ensuring such words or ideas, including antisemitic ones, are challenged and refuted and we will continue working with all members of the NBA community to ensure that everyone understands the impact of their words and actions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Irving, however, appeared to defend his posting of the link \u2013 which has not yet been removed from his Twitter account.<\/p>\n \u201cI am an OMNIST and I meant no disrespect to anyone\u2019s religious beliefs. The \u2018Anti-Semitic\u2019 label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in everyday. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions,\u201d Irving said in a tweet Saturday.\n<\/p>\n In an article, Rolling Stone noted that the film Irving pointed to shows \u201cideas in line with more extreme factions of the Black Hebrew Israelites\u201d which generally believes that Black people are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites and that European Jews control society.\n<\/p>\n The controversy comes after rapper Kanye West was locked out of his Twitter and Instagram, and subsequently agreed to purchase the social media company Parler, over his own antisemitic remarks.<\/p>\n West, 45, had said he was \u201cgoing death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE\u201d earlier this month after he wore his controversial \u201cWhite Lives Matter\u201d shirt at Paris Fashion Week.<\/p>\n In the since-deleted messages with rapper Sean Combs, West said he would use Diddy as \u201can example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me.\u201d\n<\/p>\n West, in a now-deleted tweet, also said after the restriction he \u201ccan\u2019t be anti-Semitic\u201d because \u201cBlack people are actually Jew also.\u201d<\/p>\n