Nor there will be exceptions with Kyrie Irving so that, for now, he can play Nets games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. This has been assured by Eric Adams, mayor of New York, who considers that allowing the point guard to play despite not being vaccinated would send the wrong message to the rest of the city.
“I want Kyrie on the court. I would do anything to get that ring. I want him so badly… But the stakes are high here. And I talked to the owner of the team. We want to find a way to get Kyrie on the court, but this is a bigger problem. I can’t shut my city down again. It would send the wrong message with just one exception for one player when we tell countless New York City employees, ‘If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t get hired.’ Adams said in an interview on CNBC.
With those words, the mayor cut short the Nets’ optimism a day after he announced in a statement that, with COVID-19 numbers declining, the city is looking at March 7 as the date to waive vaccination requirements for indoor entertainment, fitness, and dining venues. However, “all other vaccine mandates in New York will remain in place, as they are and have been vital to protecting New Yorkers.”
Adams went on to acknowledge that the mandate barring Irving from playing at home “doesn’t make sense,” since visiting players who aren’t vaccinated can still play in New York. “It’s a ridiculous rule, but these are the rules and I have to follow them. If I don’t, I’m going to open the door that is sending the wrong message to everyday workers.”
At the moment, Irving can only play away games, but he recently said he could see “the light at the end of the tunnel” as coronavirus numbers continued to drop and New York was considering lifting some restrictions. NBA commissioner Adam Silver also indicated that the mandate that prevents the Nets point guard from playing “also doesn’t make much sense” to him because unvaccinated players from rival teams can play while Irving has to sit down. Everything indicates that he will end up playing the games in Brooklyn, although it is unknown when.
