Kyrie Irving has been a part-time player for the Brooklyn Nets since he returned to their lineup nearly two months ago, but that may not be the case for much longer.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday that he “can’t wait” to be able to end vaccine mandates at some point in the near future. He said there are statistical benchmarks the city will have to hit but that he looks forward to a “real transformation” in the next few weeks.
Quite significant from @NYCMayor discussing for the first time his desire to (eventually) remove vaccine mandates.
Says much more information to come in the next few days pic.twitter.com/h7FRXjZnS0
— The Glue Guys (@BKGlueGuys) February 23, 2022
Irving has not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, so he is not eligible to play in home games for the Nets at the moment. Other major cities like Boston and Philadelphia have ended their vaccine mandates in recent days, and New York City is clearly going to do the same. At that point, Irving will be eligible to play in games at the Barclays Center.
The Nets have a chance to make a deep playoff run if everything goes right, even after trading James Harden. It’s unclear how Ben Simmons will fit in with the team, but it sounds like the Nets are going to have both him and Irving available at some point down the stretch and into the postseason.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver was recently critical of the hypocrisy surrounding Irving’s situation, but it is expected to change very soon.
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
