Kyrie Irving apologized for spreading his wild flat-Earth theory

Celtics star Kyrie Irving apologized on Monday for spreading his flat-Earth theory. (Getty Images)
Celtics star Kyrie Irving apologized on Monday for spreading his flat-Earth theory. (Getty Images)
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Nearly 18 months after he first floated his crazy ideas about the planet, Kyrie Irving has finally apologized for spreading his flat-Earth theory.

Irving, speaking at Forbes’ Under 30 Summit in Boston on Monday, was asked about where he stands on the flat-Earth theory he has been spouting off about for months now.

Without actually saying that he knows the Earth isn’t flat, Irving apologized for speaking out about it publicly — saying he didn’t realize the effect it would have on people.

“At the time I was like huge into conspiracies, and everybody’s been there,” Irving said, via Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe. “Everybody’s been there … at the time, you’re like innocent in it but you realize the effect of the power of voice. And even if you believe in that, just don’t come out and say that stuff. That’s for intimate conversations because perception, and how you’re perceived, it changes. No, I’m actually a smart-ass individual. It’s not like I was just going around saying that. At the time, I just didn’t realize the effect. I was definitely at that time like ‘I’m a big conspiracy theorist! You can’t tell me anything!’

“So I’m sorry about all that. For all of the science teachers, everybody coming up to me like, ‘You know I have to reteach my whole curriculum.’ I’m sorry. I apologize.”

The 26-year-old five-time NBA All Star has spent months spreading this crazy theory, which he revealed was formed by “watching a whole bunch of Instagram videos.” It even somehow sparked a number of other professional athletes and people all across the country to join him in this easily disproved conspiracy.

Now, in Irving’s defense, it is easy to slip down a YouTube rabbit hole. And when you have the platform and influence that the NBA star has, it isn’t difficult to get an audience to hear you out on even the most ludicrous of ideas.

But technically, Irving never said he has come to terms with the fact that the Earth is not flat — like the majority of the world has for centuries. For all we know, he still believes this theory and he just isn’t planning to speak out about it as strongly anymore.

I guess only time will tell.

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