Door Closing on Unvaxxed Kyrie: What Irving’s Absence Means For Nets

Door Closing on Unvaxxed Kyrie: What Irving’s Absence Means For Nets

Door Closing on Unvaxxed Kyrie: What Irving’s Absence Means For Nets!

While Brooklyn Nets baller Kyrie Irving’s chances of playing this year are slim to none. Looks like Kyrie should start looking into a new profession. Get more tea on Kyrie Irving Nets…

CelebnSports247.com reports that New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams announced on CNN Friday night that he will not change the city’s vaccine requirements, effectively closing the door on any chance for unvaccinated Kyrie Irving playing for the Nets this season.

Kyrie Irving has made his voice heard about NOT getting VAXXED — considering retirement. Meanwhile, Spencer Haywood says Irving’s vaccine stance is ‘Unconscionable!’

But that has not changed the New York City mandate.

As a result of a New York City mandate, which requires proof of vaccination to enter indoor arenas, Irving is currently ineligible to play in Brooklyn home games in 2021–22. However, New York officials deemed the HSS Training Center in Brooklyn a “private facility.” Despite this move, Nets general manager Sean Marks said on Oct. 14 that the team will not allow Irving to play or practice “until he is eligible to be a full participant.”

Tsai previously told ESPN [via SI] when asked when he thinks Irving will play again.

He replied:

I don’t know. Either he has to be vaccinated in order to come back if the New York mandate is still in place. And don’t ask me when they may or may not change the New York mandate. Again, if you ask the people that are making decisions at the city level, they are going to say we are going to rely on science, rely on what the health department tells us [in order to proceed].

Why Irving has been Benched:

Tsai said it was a team decision for Irving not to play until he complies with New York’s COVID-19 mandate.

He said:

Obviously, Kyrie has his own belief so I respect that. But we have to make a team decision. This is not a decision about him,” Tsai said, who owns the team with his wife, Clara Wu Tsai. “This is a decision about where we go as a team. And it is just not tenable for us to have a team with a player that comes in and out, no home games, only away games. What do you do in practice then?

As for Irving, he had this to say about his stance:

Nobody is gonna hijack my voice. Nobody is gonna take the power away from me that I have for speaking on these things. Don’t believe that I’m retiring. Don’t believe that I’m gonna give up this game for a vaccine mandate or staying unvaccinated. Don’t believe any of that s—, man. Be aware of what’s being said before I even get a chance to be on the podium and speak for myself.

What Does that mean for The Brooklyn Nets?

Steve Nash admitted something pretty intriguing about the impact Kyrie Irving‘s absence has had on his squad.

Nash explained ahead of Wednesday’s game:

This team in particular is built around 3 stars. So to lose one it affects not only the top of the team it also affects the bottom of the team. The players that you recruit, with what’s left of the salary cap are different and to lose that player, there’s a trickle down effect.

The second-year head coach continued:

That’s just the nature of it. We’ve enjoyed trying to put this puzzle together and our players like I said have been incredibly engaged and how they can learn to play the right way and play together in a fashion that suits them.

It seems that the Nets are not missing Kyrie.

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