Kyrie Irving will not play basketball this season unless one of three things take place: A) he complies with New York City’s indoor vaccination mandate, B) the city’s mandate is lifted or changed before July or C) the Nets trade him. Before one of those three scenarios is realized, Irving won’t be allowed inside Barclays Center, and the Nets won’t let him “participate with part-time availability,” per a statement from the organization that was released Tuesday morning.
A conversation about anti-vaccine postulation during a pandemic is more important than any sports-related storyline. But setting that reality to the side and acknowledging another, Irving happens to be a 29-year-old star employed by a heavy title favorite.