Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will be allowed to play in the Barclays Center on Sunday as New York City lifts its private sector vaccine mandate, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
ESPN reports New York mayor Eric Adams had been working with health officials on altering the polarizing mandate which will also allow for unvaccinated New York Yankees and Mets players to play home games by Opening Day next month.
Irving hasn’t played in a single home this season over his decision to remain unvaccinated, but he has attended a few games in Barclays after the mandate was lifted, including a matinee contest against the Knicks earlier this month where the Nets were fined $50,000 by the NBA for “violating New York City law and league health and safety protocols” by allowing Kyrie to go into the locker room after the game.
His maskless presence has sparked conversations about the private sector vaccine mandate still being in place. Irving’s frustrated teammate Kevin Durant criticized the “ridiculous” mandate in his post-game comments following the Knicks game. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand it at all,” Durant said, per The Hill. “It just feels like, at this point now, someone is trying to make a statement or point to flex their authority.”
Durant’s remarks led to an impassioned response from ESPN’s Mike Wilbon, who called out the Nets star for directing the blame at the wrong person.
