Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Rep., has called the NBA a "fascist", for benching Nets player Kyrie Irwin.
In a tweet, she said that Magic Johnson was allowed "play with HIV." She compared it to Irving not getting COVID-19.
Irving will remain on the Brooklyn Nets bench until he receives the COVID-19 jab.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Rep., has spoken out in support of Kyrie Irving (benched Brooklyn Nets player), who has stubbornly refused to take the COVID-19 shot.
"The fascist NBA will not let Kyrie Irving play because she refused a vaccine. Yet, they let Magic Johnson still play with HIV," Greene wrote in a tweet October 14.
Greene was referring specifically to the way that the NBA star revealed his HIV diagnosis in 1991, and then abruptly retired. Johnson is credited for being a strong advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention since his retirement from Los Angeles Lakers, in 1991.
The Brooklyn Nets have announced that Kyrie Irving, point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, will not be allowed to practice or play with them because he hasn't received the COVID-19 vaccination and will not be permitted to play indoor home games. Irving's refusal of getting vaccinated has put at risk his $186 million contract extension as well as his future with the team. Irving recently spoke out about his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that he does "what feels good for him."
Greene pointed out the differences in these two diseases in her tweet on October 14. HIV spreads mainly through bodily fluids, sexual contact, or sharing needles or other syringes. COVID-19, an airborne respiratory illness, is currently being investigated.
Greene is well-known for her inflammatory remarks about the COVID-19 viral infection. In May, Greene compared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s congressional mask mandate to the Holocaust. She repeated those remarks, comparing proof of vaccination with Jews being forced to wear yellow stars during the Holocaust.
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Greene was also banned from Twitter in July for falsely claiming that COVID-19 is safe for people younger than 65, and those who aren't obese, and that vaccines shouldn't be necessary.
Insider reached out to Irving, Johnson and NBA representatives for clarification.
Insider has the original article.
