"He's the last in the world who deserves it" - Stephen A. Smith furious over Brooklyn Nets bringing back Kyrie Irving amidst his COVID vaccine rebellion
After a slow start to the 2021-22 NBA regular season, the Brooklyn Nets have started to find their groove and it appears as if superstar Kyrie Irving could be returning to the club. As of right now, the Brooklyn Nets sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with an overall record of 21-9. The Nets have quickly become a force in the East and look to be one of the most dangerous teams throughout the entire league.
The Brooklyn roster features some of the most talented players in the league in superstars Kevin Durant and James Harden. The other superstar, Kyrie Irving, has yet to appear in a game this year after refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. After staying away from the team throughout the year, it was recently reported that Irving will rejoin the Nets and potentially play in the teams' away games.
The situation between the Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving has been a popular storyline to monitor throughout the year. With New York state laws requiring professional athletes to have the COVID-19 vaccination, Irving has been unable to play in any home games until he receives the vaccination.
With the latest update from the Nets organization, it looks as if Irving might be returning to the team. While speaking today on ESPN's "First Take," analyst Stephen A. Smith went on to talk about the latest developments and how the Nets are reversing course on their stance when it comes to Irving.
"He's the last person in the world who deserves it. Not as a talent, as a talent he deserves all of it...but as somebody who is trustworthy? Hell no...he's the last person that you should make this kind of concession for."
Kyrie Irving potentially returning to the Brooklyn nets
There's no doubt that Brooklyn Nets superstar guard Kyrie Irving has been a popular name in the news over the course of his career. After the Nets came into the season as favorites to get to the NBA Finals, Irving made a stance to refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and has remained away from the team throughout the entire regular season.
Since then, the Brooklyn Nets have had Irving remain away from the team, as it appeared they were hoping to prevent the situation from becoming a distraction.
It was recently announced that Irving was trending towards returning to the Brooklyn Nets, but it appears as though the situation could be a bit more complicated than anticipated. With the league currently experiencing another COVID-19 outbreak, a mass number of players have had to enter the league's health and safety protocols. It remains to be seen what the Nets plan to do with Irving, as he would only be eligible to play in road games if he continues to refuse the vaccination.
The Brooklyn Nets have been impressive with their play as of late, winning seven of their last ten games. It will be fascinating to see what the plan is with Irving moving forward, as his return to the lineup could give the Nets another dangerous weapon.