Kyrie Irving may be one of the few NBA players who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccination, and apparently, he’s still not getting it anytime soon.
With Kevin Durant going down with an injury that could keep him sidelined for weeks, Irving was asked by the media if that would change his stance on getting the vaccine.
“I stay rooted in my decision,” Irving said in a postgame interview. “That’s just what it is. It’s not going to be swayed by one thing in this NBA life that is somehow brought to my attention as being more important than what’s going on in the real world. It’s just not happening for me.”
Irving has been cleared to play away games with the Brooklyn Nets, but the New York mandate precludes him from playing in home games unless he’s vaccinated.
“We live in a real world. This is great to be able to do this. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I love playing with my teammates. I love playing on the Nets, but I’ve already been away enough time to think about this, to process this, to be able to make my decision, stand strong, understand that people are gonna agree and some people are gonna disagree.”
The only hope that Irving and the Nets have is if the mandate is lifted in New York, and there have been no signs that point to that happening anytime soon.
“The circumstances that are at hand, I’m praying that they get changed and we’re able to do things differently, and that’s not just for me. That’s for all those that are dealing with being unvaccinated and getting fired from work on a day-to-day basis. It’s not just about me. That’s been my message this entire time,” he said.
