Ex-NBA Star Stephen Jackson Says DeSean Jackson Was ‘Speaking The Truth’ After Eagles’ Receiver Issues Apology
Philadelphia Eagles star DeSean Jackson garnered quite a bit of criticism earlier in the week when he made several social media posts that people have called anti-semitic. However, one former NBA star — Stephen Jackson –believes there was nothing wrong with what the Eagles’ player said. According to Mike Kaye of NJ.com, the former basketball star said DeSean Jackson — who is of no relation — was “speaking the truth.”
Stephen posted a video on Twitter where he explained why he agreed with the Eagles wide receiver. He also claimed people were simply trying to silence DeSean.
“He was trying to educate himself, educate people and he’s speaking the truth,” Stephen said. “Right? He’s speaking the truth. You know he don’t hate nobody, but he’s speaking the truth of facts he knows and trying to educate others. But, you all don’t want us to educate ourselves.”
Stephen was referring to several social media posts where DeSean posted pages from books that talked about Black people supplanting Jewish people as the true “children of God.” A later posting from the Eagles wide receiver showed quotes that were attributed to Adolph Hitler. In addition, he put up several snippets of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s three-hour Fourth of July speech. One of the posts accused the Jewish community of trying to “blackmail America.”
Kaye pointed out it’s not entirely clear what part of the posts Stephen found to be “telling the truth.” The ex-NBA star did not elaborate on what he thought was accurate in what DeSean had put on his social media accounts.
Kaye reported that DeSean issued two separate apologies on Tuesday after the social media posts went viral. The receiver’s first apology in the form of a video also drew widespread condemnation from analysts from around the NFL who didn’t feel as though the first apology was a “real” apology.
It appears DeSean Jacskon did apologize 5 minutes ago on Instagram.
Not good enough, didn't go far enough. pic.twitter.com/kDCNw8NU2p
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 7, 2020
DeSean and his staff reportedly reached out to a prominent Philadelphia rabbi, Doniel Grodnitzky. Reports indicated the receiver and his people wanted to seek guidance and education on several of the issues he posted about on his social media accounts.
Later Tuesday night, the receiver posted another apology on his Twitter account, this time in text and specifically apologizing to the Jewish community as well as Eagle executives Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, who are both Jewish. In that apology, DeSean said his intent was to attempt to educate and uplift but he understood that instead, he hurt the Jewish community.
