The vaccine mandate storyline around the Brooklyn Nets is something many hold responsible for causing the Brooklyn Nets’ season to end via a sweep in the first round of the playoffs. Kyrie Irving’s absence from the team for most of the season hampered chemistry and saw James Harden want to leave the Nets for Philadelphia.
After the tough season, Irving hasn’t shied away from his stance, as he returned to play when the mandate was lifted for private employees. However, Irving referred to himself as ‘living the life of a martyr’ in a recent interview while talking about being unable to play due to his vaccination.
Stephen A. Smith was not happy to hear Irving call himself a martyr for what he did and went off on him for running away from being accountable for his actions as a basketball player.
“Kyrie Irving is offended that you’re looking at him for having an impact as a basketball player because he wants to be seen as more than that. Even though he’s the one who signed up to put his talents on display for all of us to marvel at. But when we hold him accountable for it, how dare us? He’s talking about a martyr, giving a voice to the voiceless, where you been speaking? There’s people still unemployed in New York for the mandate. If you really really wanted to make some noise, you would’ve said to hell with that, I don’t give a damn if I can come back, I’mma stand with them.”
The Kyrie Irving vs. Stephen A. feud may never end at this point. Irving is extremely headstrong and will remember the loudest voice against him during this time was Stephen A’s voice.
Stephen A. is going to move from topic-to-topic, but discussing Irving’s vaccination so many times this season doesn’t show any goodwill from his end towards the Nets guard either.
