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Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving: Gave up 4-year, $100M-plus extension to be unvaccinated

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving says he turned down a four-year extension prior to the 2020-21 season because of his decision not to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

"I gave up four years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision," Irving said during Nets media day on Monday. "[Get this] contract, get vaccinated or be unvaccinated and there's a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you're going to be in this league, whether you're going to be on this team, so I had to deal with that real-life circumstance of losing my job for this decision.