In light of Brooklyn’s 109-121 loss against the Bucks on Friday, Nets fans were feeling pretty frustrated over the absence of Kyrie Irving, who could have played the game had he been fully vaccinated.
Once the final buzzer sounded, Durant was asked after the game if he has any intention of trying to convince Irving to take the shot and re-join the lineup as a full-time participant.
While he revealed his desire to have Uncle Drew play every game, he denied any willingness to try and get his teammate to take a dose.
“I’ve told him how much I want him to play. But like I said, I’m not about to force somebody to get a vaccine. That’s not my thing. So he can play basketball? Nah, I’m not about to do that. We’ve had conversations about wanting him to be a part of the team and conversations about him being here full-time but that’s on his time. Whatever decision he wants to make, he’s gonna make. It’s on us to come in here and be professionals no matter what and do our jobs, from the owner to the equipment manager.”
"I'm not about to force somebody to get a vaccine. … Whatever decision he wants to make, he’s gonna make.”
KD on if he talks to Kyrie about getting vaccinated so he can be a full-participant player
(via @SNYNets)pic.twitter.com/fB4WwcuxA4
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 8, 2022
Irving’s vaccination status has been a concern for months now. Ahead of the season, Brooklyn set forth strict vaccine mandates, essentially disqualifying Irving from playing in any home games.
Originally, the team elected to have him sit completely, citing that they didn’t want him to be a part-time player only.
Eventually, the Nets caved and Kyrie was allowed to return and play with the team on the road.
In his debut, he looked to be in great shape, but it’s clear that the Nets are suffering when he’s not around. With an 0-8 record against the league’s top teams, they are struggling against some teams they are likely to face in the postseason.
Let’s just hope that the Nets can make do until Irving is able to become full-time again.
