Kyrie Irving is one of the best basketball players in the world and that’s easy to forget amid all the controversy that has surrounded him these last couple of seasons. His refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccine saw Kyrie miss the first 35 games of the season and since his return, he has only been able to play games away from home thanks to the vaccine mandate in New York.
After NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke about issues with the mandate, there were rumors that the mandates would be phased out. Away players that are unvaccinated can play, but New York’s Mayor Eric Adams has spoken to CNBC about how making an exception for Irving is impossible for him, considering the circumstances and the application of the mandate across other businesses in New York.
here's Eric Adams on Kyrie on CNBC:
"It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we're telling countless number of New York City employees 'If you don’t follow the rules, we won’t be able to be employed.'" pic.twitter.com/N8dbv094SR
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) February 28, 2022
“Listen, I want Kyrie on the court. I would do anything to get that ring,” Adams said. “But there’s so much at stake here.
“We want to find a way to get Kyrie on the court, but this is a bigger issue. I can’t have my city closed down again. It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we’re telling countless number of New York City employees, ‘If you don’t follow the rules, you won’t be able to be employed.
“These are the rules and I have to follow the rules. If I don’t, I’m going to open the door that is sending the wrong message to everyday employees. Businesses have their vaccine mandates, city employees have their vaccine mandates. I have to follow the rules. Trust me, I want Kyrie on the court. We are here right now, open in our city because of vaccine mandates. We can’t close down again.”
The Nets were blown out by the Toronto Raptors on Monday night, with Kyrie unable to participate in the game. That’s quite the shame because Irving had just dropped 38 points in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks 2 nights prior and seemed to be in excellent form while doing so. This means the Nets might be without Kyrie in home games if they make the playoffs, but how all of that pans out remains to be seen.
