“Oh my gosh! The reactions in the league were way outside Brooklyn, this was felt in Miami, this was felt in Milwaukee” - Brian Windhorst on Kyrie Irving reportedly being cleared for home games
NBA and Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving and his availability for the Nets has been the topic of conversation for the entirety of the campaign thus far. However, the debacle has seemingly reached its conclusion.
Appearing on ESPN's morning show Get Up, NBA insider Brian Windhorst spoke about how it was a defining moment of the season for the Nets and the rest of the teams in the league. Windhorst said:
"This is obviously a huge moment for the Nets because they get at least two of their three stars out on the court to try to compete throughout the playoffs. But, oh my gosh, the reactions in the league were way outside Brooklyn, this was felt in Miami, this was felt in Milwaukee, this was felt in Philadelphia."
The Brooklyn Nets can now rely on Kyrie Irving for the home games, something they couldn't do all this while due to the Covid-19 vaccination mandate in the borough of Brooklyn.
How important is this for Kyrie Irving and the Nets?
This is a monumental decision by Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City. It is so monumental that there is a powershift in the Eastern Conference as to who is coming out of the East and going to the NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving is that good.
On Sunday, Kevin Durant scored 53 points.
Tonight, Kyrie Irving is at 51 (and counting).
They're the first teammates in NBA history to score 50+ points in consecutive games. https://t.co/8Ee6nfcMOh
With Kevin Durant back to full fitness and Kyrie on the floor alongside him, the Brooklyn Nets have become exponentially stronger. They have two legitimate superstars who are offensive juggernauts who have the ability to create shots, draw fouls, catch and shoot and drop 30 points in their sleep.
The scenario of the Nets having to play a Play-In tournament game without Kyrie was a real possibility. The Brooklyn-based side would have to travel to Toronto to take on the Toronto Raptors and Irving would have been ineligible for the game as you cannot travel to Canada without having taken the vaccination.
Kyrie Irving is the 3rd player in the past 25 seasons to score at least 40 points in the first half.
He joins Kobe Bryant (42 in 2003) and Klay Thompson (40 in 2016). https://t.co/967Ysp62zM
The Nets could also have Ben Simmons back in time for the postseason and this strengthens them even more.
When Irving plays, Simmons could operate as a quintessential point guard who orchestrates the offense and is not worried about scoring. Irving slots in as the off guard who is focused on one thing and one thing only, which is to get buckets. This will also alleviate the scoring burden for Durant and allow him to be more efficient and effective.
The Brooklyn Nets can now rely on Kyrie Irving for home games in the postseason and not just road games, and this decision by Eric Adams is a game-changer for the Nets and the rest of the teams in the NBA.