Kyrie Irving.Photo: NBAE/Getty
Adams lifted the private sector coronavirus vaccine mandate for performers and athletes in the city during a press conference at Citi Field, allowing unvaccinated athletes to return to playing sports in N.Y.C.
Irving, 30, has beenvocal about his decisionto remain unvaccinated againstCOVID-19, and due to the local workplace vaccine mandate had not been not allowed to participate in the team’s games in New York City, both at the Net’s home, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.
The Athletic’s Shams Charaniasaid Irving could be on the court in Brooklyn as soon as Sunday, playing in the Nets' next home game against the Charlotte Hornets.
Earlier this month, theNBAfined the Brooklyn Nets $50,000 for allowing Irving into the team’s locker roomduring a gameon March 13. The leagueannouncedthe penalty the next day, as the move violated the then-active local laws as well as the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
“I can’t have my city closed down again,” Adams said during an appearance on CNBC’sSquawk on the Streetin February. “It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we’re telling countless number of New York City employees, ‘If you don’t follow the rules, you won’t be able to be employed.’ "
He added: “Businesses have their vaccine mandate. City employees have their vaccine mandates. I have to follow the rules. And trust me, I want Kyrie on the court. We are here right now opening our city because of vaccine mandates. We can’t close down again.”
Irving has already missed a majority of games this season due to being unvaccinated. In December 2021, the Nets decided they would bring Irving back to the team on a part-time basis, allowing him to play in road games that did not fall under New York City’s mandate.
At the time, Irving opened up about being unable to play.
“I understood their decision [to sideline me] and I respected it,” Irving said, according toNew York Postreporter Brian Lewis. “I really had to sit back and try not to become too emotionally attached to what they were deciding to do. I had to sit down and really evaluate things and see it from their perspective.”
source: people.com
