Kyrie Irving says he doesn't stand for "hate speech" as he returns to Nets

Kyrie Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday after being suspended by the team on Nov. 3 for posting a link on social media to a film that contained antisemitic material, according to AP.

What they're saying: Irving apologized for the post in an interview, saying, “I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is going against the human race."

• “I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us and I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions, because there was a way I should have handled all this and as I look back and reflect when I had the opportunity to offer my deep regrets to anyone that felt threatened or felt hurt by what I posted, that wasn’t my intent at all," he added, according to AP.

The big picture: The Nets suspended him for at least five games without pay but he ended up missing a total of eight during the suspension.

• The team said he will be available to play against Memphis on Sunday night.
• Irving also apologized for the link after he was suspended through an Instagram post, acknowledging that the film contained false, antisemitic language.

Go deeper: Irving's Nike deal suspended, shoe launch canceled amid controversy