The Brooklyn Nets have benched their All-Star guard, Kyrie Irving, removing him from their lineup indefinitely due to his decision not to get the Covid vaccine.
New York City’s vaccine mandate, which covers indoor venues including the Nets’ arena, Barclays Center, requires all people entering to have had at least one vaccine dose. Along with San Francisco and LA, the New York’s mandate had put the squeeze on NBA players as the league prepares to begin its season next week. Had the Nets not acted, they would have lost Irving’s services for at least half of their games as well as home practice sessions. In limited interactions with the media, Irving has repeatedly asked for “privacy,” saying his decision is a personal matter.
Other NBA players have faced scrutiny over their stances on the vaccine, including LeBron James, who finally revealed having had it after refusing for months to specify his status. Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors received the vaccine earlier this month, after initially saying he would not do so. Money plays a significant role in the decision-making, of course. Irving was slated to make almost $35 million this season under his four-year deal with the Nets.
“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice.”
With Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden having arrived at the Nets over the past couple of seasons, the team has been a prohibitive favorite to win the NBA title. Even without Irving, it is still considered one of the top contenders.
“Our championship goals for the season have not changed, and to achieve these goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction,” Marks added. “We are excited for the start of the season and look forward to a successful campaign that will make the borough of Brooklyn proud.”
In a press briefing, Marks said he viewed the situation straightforwardly and did not express concern about potential blowback from the players’ union or Irving himself.
“This is a choice Kyrie had and he was well aware it it,” Marks said. “We had many conversations about it.”
