Kyrie Irving still cannot play in home games for the Brooklyn Nets due to New York City’s vaccine mandate, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver feels it is time for that to change.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up!” Wednesday morning, Silver spoke about the New York City vaccine mandate that has prevented Irving from playing at home. He pointed out the hypocrisy of the mandate applying to someone like Irving but not a visiting player.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver weighs in on the New York vaccine requirements, which have kept Kyrie Irving out of home games.
“It just doesn’t quite make sense to me that an away player who’s unvaccinated can play in Barclays, but the home player can’t." pic.twitter.com/epMYGZhYdz
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 16, 2022
“The oddity of it to me is that it only applies to home players,” Silver said. “If ultimately that rule is about protecting people who are in the arena, it just doesn’t quite make sense to me that an away who is unvaccinated player can play in (the Barclays Center) but the home player can’t. To me, that’s a reason they should take a look at that ordinance.”
Silver is right. It is absurd that Irving isn’t allowed to play at the Barclays Center while an unvaccinated visiting player has clearance. That makes no sense from a scientific standpoint.
There has been talk about the Nets potentially finding a loophole that will allow Irving to play, but he remains ineligible for home games. Silver is hoping that changes at some point in the near future.
Photo: Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
