While attending the January 1st Utah Jazz/Dallas Mavericks basketball game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Rabbi Avremi Zippel and three fellow game-goers were told to put their hand-held signs away. The alleged reason? Signs aren’t allowed courtside. The content of the signs? “I’m a Jew and I’m proud”.
Zippel took to social media to spread his story. In his posts, he recounted how security guards approached them in the middle of the first quarter and told them to put their signs away. Zippel had read over the NBA’s and Jazz’s Code of Conduct “with a fine tooth comb” and was sure their signs violated no rules, saying “[It’s] true. It attacks no one. Takes no national stance. By the written code, it passed completely”.
The group had gotten into the arena and was shown to their seats with no issues. The incident only occurred after Dallas Mavericks player Kyrie Irving noticed their signs, commented “Don’t gotta bring that to a game”, and was then off the court during the next timeout. When inquired, a number of Jazz employees assured Zippel that they had no knowledge of a policy against signs on the floor of the arena, as claimed by the security guards. They also confirmed that the request for the signs to be put away was made after Irving saw the signs and complained to security.
Irving has a history of antisemitism and antizionism, receiving a suspension in November of 2022 when he posted a link to a “documentary” claiming Jewish people stole Israel from African tribes. Ironically, Irving claims he has Jewish family and has a Magen David tattoo on his hand.
Apparently, Kyrie Irving views being proud to be Jewish as dangerous rhetoric. This type of behavior comes from the same people who claim that antizionism and antisemitism have nothing to do with each other. Zionism and Judaism are inextricably, irrevocably connected and the only reason to separate them is to attack one without being accused of attacking the other. Clearly, Irving has no issue attacking both.
Kyrie Irving playing in the SLC tonight.
With everything that happened this morning, I thought it’d be appropriate to give him a welcome.
Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/khs8CkxqDs
— Avremi Zippel (@UtahRabbi) January 2, 2024
Avremi Zippel shared thoughts below on his social media:
The @NBA prides itself on fostering diversity and inclusion. Yet, a rabbi from Utah was told by @utahjazz security to hide his Jewish pride at tonight’s game, because one antisemitic @dallasmavs player was triggered and couldn’t handle it.
SHAMEFUL. Know better Utah Jazz. https://t.co/JoPjGeMqWE
— Simcha Eichenstein (@SEichenstein) January 2, 2024
When did Jewish pride become a provocative stance?
Shame on the @utahjazz! https://t.co/qwj2hyV2sQ pic.twitter.com/1xxrcN3VnM
— Dovi Safier (@safier) January 2, 2024
Shameful!!!
If simply being a proud Jew is all that it takes to take Kyrie’s head out of the game, his opponents have it easy.
We will not stop being proud of who we are.
Soft!
What is with his Zippel and his team of Chabad Lubavitch clowns? Pious Jews don’t belong in a stadium at such an event. Would previous generations of Hasidim have been found in such a place??? Chabad Lubavitch has really lost its way with its zeal to get into the news, and their obsession with social media.