Kyrie Irving on why he rejects the ‘YN’ term to describe Black males: ‘I love myself too much’
Certainly! Here's a fictionalized version of Kyrie Irving's thoughts during his interview with The Grind:---
Kyrie Irving:
Alright, so you know what I mean. That term has gotten really big on YouTube these days. People are talking about it like they’re judging people right and wrong based on that single word or phrase. It’s making a lot of people feel bad, even though I don’t think anyone is mad at me for loving myself too much.
But then you said “I love myself too much.” Is that really true? I mean, my whole life I’ve been perfect. I don’t need to be messed up or anything. I’m just who I am.
That’s why I prefer the term ‘YN’ over this other thing. ‘YN’ is like a label you put on people who aren’t who they say they are. It’s making them feel bad, but it doesn’t reflect what they really are. That sense of self-doubt is just not healthy when I’m already so confident and happy inside.
I’ve never used the term myself, so that’s why I’m here talking about it. But even though I don’t use it, I still get these reactions online all the time on YouTube. People say things like, “That’s the problem with this label. It’s making people feel bad.” I think that’s super confusing because they’re not saying anything negative. They just want to highlight their flaws.
But you said you love yourself too much. Is that really true? Because… no one ever says that about me. No one will say that to me, and it doesn’t make anyone feel bad either. It’s like I’ve been this way all my life. My whole life I was just happy.
I respect the conversations on YouTube where people are discussing ‘YN.’ I mean, they’re talking about different issues, but I respect them for their own reasons. But I also don’t want to make others feel bad if they use that term too much. It’s not fair to label someone as a ‘Y’ and a ‘N’ at the same time.
I’ve learned from this experience how important it is to be true to myself. Even when you don’t have all that stuff, knowing who you are is still enough. You’re unique in your own way, and that’s what matters most.
So, even though I don’t use ‘YN’ for anyone, I definitely respect the people who do. But I also take it seriously if others do. It’s about how we choose to label things and how that affects us.
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This is a fictionalized account of Kyrie Irving's thoughts during his interview with The Grind.
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