Kyrie Irving set to miss Brooklyn Nets' media day due to New York City's health and safety protocols
According to Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Kyrie Irving is not expected to attend the Brooklyn Nets media day due to New York City's health and safety protocols. Irving will be interacting with the media via a Zoom call later.
However, the franchise is confident the guard will attend the training camp in San Diego, which starts on September 28th.
Kyrie Irving's stance on vaccination has created a major controversy lately, as both fans and the media have questioned his choice of not getting vaccinated. Irving could reportedly miss the Brooklyn Nets home games in the 2021-22 NBA campaign due to similar reasons, which could in turn lead to tension between the team and the player.
New York City's health and safety protocols require that any individual above the age of 12 has to show proof of getting at least the first dose. Only then are they allowed to attend outdoor entertainment events. NBA games come under the same mandate, and Kyrie Irving's hesitation to receive the shot could create a major problem for the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving is not expected to attend Nets media day today due to New York City health and safety protocols but the Nets fully expect Irving to accompany the team to training camp in San Diego, sources tell @WindhorstESPN and I.
Kyrie Irving is not the only NBA player skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccine
Since the COVID-19 vaccines were made available, the vaccination status of various athletes has been a major talking point. The NBA is no different, and there are various players whose take on the vaccine has been criticized. Apart from Kyrie Irving, NBA players like Jonathan Isaac, Michael Porter Jr., and Andrew Wiggins have also shown resistance to getting vaccinated.
Wiggins and Isaac have cited religious reasons, while there has been a lot of conjecture about Irving's decision. Kyrie Irving's official vaccination status remains disclosed, but it is one of the NBA's worst-kept secrets that the former Cleveland Cavaliers star is not keen on getting the jab.
What a piece from @sullduggery. Kyrie Irving’s aunt says Irving isn’t going to try to get a religious exemption to get around being an anti-vaxxer. He’s going to try to get around the rules. rollingstone.com/culture/cultur… https://t.co/GpoDevKUWv
The 2021-22 NBA season is less than a month away, and the vaccination status of teams could play an integral part in how a team's campaign shapes up. If star players like Kyrie Irving opt out of getting the vaccine, it could create major trouble for franchises across the league.
Like New York City, other franchise towns in the USA and Toronto in Canada have strict laws against the unvaccinated, and it looks like the teams will have to convince the players to get the jab if they want to play the entirety of the season.