The Brooklyn Nets announced Tuesday that Kyrie Irving will essentially be isolated from the team as long as he remains unvaccinated.
Nets GM Sean Marks released a statement saying Irving will not be allowed to be a part-time member of the team, and thus will not practice or play in any games while unvaccinated. Marks said that Irving “has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose.” However, Irving’s decision “restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team.”
Nets GM Sean Marks says Brooklyn has decided Kyrie Irving may not practice or play with the group until he can be a “full participant.” pic.twitter.com/ton8xdCEX9
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) October 12, 2021
The city of New York has essentially said pro athletes like Irving cannot play in New York arenas while unvaccinated. That meant Irving would have been unavailable for all home games, rendering him a part-time member of the team. The Nets clearly feel that’s unfair to the rest of the players, and building chemistry like that would not be feasible. That’s even more true when the Nets have championship aspirations.
The question now is whether Irving will back down on his vaccine stance. He already looked to be losing a lot of money by choosing to remain unvaccinated. That said, the All-Star guard simply may not be moved on this if this tweet he sent recently is any indication.
Photo: Feb 1, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
