Kyrie Irving admits Flat-Earth theory was a social experiment

MANILA, Philippines－Is he or isn’t he?

In some plot twist of sorts, Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving admitted that he knows the Earth, indeed, is not flat.

Last February, Irving turned heads when he came out with the belief that our planet Earth is actually flat, and not an oblate spheroid years worth of science proved it to be.

(READ: https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/basketball/nba/161847-kyrie-irving-believes-earth-flat-cavs)

It turns out that the once ‘flat-earther’ may just have been on an experiment, as he would reveal months later on Celtics media day.

In an interview on the CBS Sports Radio’s Toucher and Rich show on Tuesday, September 26 (Wednesday in Manila), the playmaker proclaimed that his outrageous flat-earth story “was all an exploitation tactic.”

“All I want to do is [to] be able to have that open conversation,” Irving told hosts Rich Shertenlieb and Jon Wallach. “It literally spun the world — your guy’s world — it spun it into a frenzy and proved exactly what I thought it would do in terms of how all this works.”

“It created a division, or, literally stand up there and let all these people throw tomatoes at me, or have somebody think I’m somehow a different intellectual person because I believe that the earth is flat and you think the world is round. It created exactly that.”

Irving also added in the conversation that the whole belief was part of what can be regarded as a ‘social experiment.’

“That was the intent behind it,” he answered when asked if it was an experiment. “Do your own research, don’t come to me and ask me. At the end of the day, you’re going to feel and believe the way you want to feel,” said Irving, who was the centerpiece of a trade that sent Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the debate on our planet’s shape appeared to be one big ploy for the All-star guard, a few athletes seemed to have thought twice and actually pondered on Irving’s stand.

LeBron James back then threw in support for his former teammate, saying that “If he [Kyrie] decides the Earth is flat, that’s OK.”

Meanwhile, fellow Celtic Jaylen Brown, speaking to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg , said that while he “may not be ready to fully commit” to the idea, noted that “Kyrie may very well have a point.”

Jaylen Brown not ready to fully commit but he’s leaning toward Kyrie’s #FlatEarth theory. pic.twitter.com/snA3XNN5MQ

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) September 19, 2017

Irving, however, didn’t (flat out) say in the radio interview if he believes the Earth is round.－Rappler.com