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One of the most famous basketball players in the world believes the earth is flat…or does he? In a recent NY Times interview, Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving spoke about flat earth theories. Irving was naturally evasive when confronted with the question “Do you believe the earth is flat?” High profile players with big endorsement portfolios have to be careful about what they say. We have seen many examples of beloved sports star’s sponsors and friends running the other way from a personal comment or political view. In this case Irving handles the ball like a pro, giving the interviewer an honest answer peppered with the flat earth mantra that everyone needs to seek knowledge for their own good. Additionally, he speaks thoughtfully about his influence on people and hopes speaking out will encourage people to learn more.
Celebrities on fire…
Irving knows well how to play the PR game. His skills as a top level defender in the NBA transfer well into his other pursuits as actor and movie producer. Other celebrities speaking out have gotten more than they bargained for. According to Fox news,‘Bachelorette’ contestant Lincoln Adim “…set himself apart…” by explaining his views about the shape of the earth. From our perspective, it looks like he set himself on fire; attracting a hailstorm of negative comments on twitter. Surprisingly, it didn’t get him eliminated on the show. However, their standards may not be very high considering his recent conviction for assault and groping.
It is probably not fair to mention Irving and Adim in the same paragraph…or even the same article. Conversely, their diverse situations and flat earth viewpoints (we’re not sure about Irving) collide at the point of mass media exposure and how to handle it. One thing we do know: With Irving’s comments spiking Google flat earth searches and the way he ran the media gauntlet so well, we will surely see more celebrities coming out in the future
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