Former NBA player Stephen Jackson attempted Wednesday night to clean up the anti-Semitic remarks he made while defending NFL star DeSean Jackson’s own anti-Semitic comments, telling CNN anchor Don Lemon that he apologized for “using the wrong words.” In an Instagram Live exchange on Wednesday, Jackson peddled a well-worn anti-Semitic trope, asking a user: “The Jews are the richest. You know who the Rothschilds are? … They control all the banks. They own all the banks.” 

In his interview with Lemon, Jackson initially denied he had done anything wrong, repeatedly telling the CNN anchor “nice try” while claiming his comments had been twisted. After Lemon noted that even if Jackson didn’t intend for his words to be an insult it still offended many Jewish people, Jackson somewhat conceded. “I apologize for using the wrong words,” he said. “I stated I could have changed my words. There’s nothing that I said that I support any of that. There’s nothing I said that I hate anybody. I apologize for my words and I could have switched up. That’s the end of it. I love everybody. I’m not going to let anybody demean my character. I’m not apologizing for a job. I don’t work for anybody. What I stand for is love for all who have love for all.”