By Tim Binnall
A basketball star who sparked a frenzy last year by endorsing the Flat Earth theory has seemingly disavowed the controversial conspiracy and apologized for helping to popularize the concept. During an appearance at the Forbes 'Under 30 Summit' on Monday, Kyrie Irvine of the Boston Celtics was asked about the media firestorm that erupted in February of 2017 when he declared to reporters that "this is not even a conspiracy theory. The Earth is flat."
Although Irving would later claim that his comments were intended to inspire people to "do their own research," questions surrounding whether or not he truly believed in the Flat Earth theory have dogged him ever since. And so, when pressed by Forbes editor Kurt Badenhausen as to which side of the debate he is on, the basketball star offered an answer which he, no doubt, hopes will put an end to the speculation.
Reflecting on how the furor came about, Irving explained that "at the time I was like huge into conspiracies" and joked "everybody's been there." His attributed this immersion into the genre to watching videos on YouTube that left him marveling at the machinations of the proverbial 'powers that be.' Irving appeared to then distance himself from the Flat Earth theory by apologizing to science teachers who were upset that he had introduced the idea to their students.
That said, one statement by Irving was both intriguing and somewhat disappointing to hear. Regarding conspiracy theories, he mused "even if you believe in that, just don't come out and say that stuff. That's for intimate conversations." His reasoning is that one's public perception can change dramatically should they, as he was, be attached to a belief that is seen as outlandish.
While such things are known to occur, as happened to an Australian government worker who was sent home for talking about conspiracy theories during her break, one can't help but be dismayed by the idea that discussing these topics should best be done in private. Meanwhile, Flat Earth fans should not feel totally deflated by Irving's comments since, if you listen closely, he never does disavow the conspiracy theory.
Kyrie apologizes for saying the world is flat. #Under30Summit pic.twitter.com/uJH3fNbPqS
— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) October 1, 2018