“You have a lot of supporters Kyrie” - John Stockton supports Kyrie Irving over his anti-vaccination stand
It has been a rough season for the Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who has not played a game of basketball since the start of the 2021-22 NBA season due to COVID-19 protocols. Kyrie took a stand to not get vaccinated, and as a result, has been unavailable for the Nets.
Kyrie Irving's decision not to get vaccinated has been met with a lot of criticism, especially from sports analyst Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A. believes Kyrie is being selfish and leaving his teammates to dry. While many others think the same, NBA all-time assists leader John Stockton has come out to show support for the point guard.
According to AhnFireDigital, Stockton made the declaration in an unreleased episode of the DNP-CD Sports podcast. He added that many others are in support of Kyrie Irving's decision but are not as bold as he is.
“You have a lot of supporters Kyrie. Not all them of can get to you, and you can’t get to all of them, but there’s every bit a majority out there that’s sitting there pulling for you. They’re just not quite as bold as he is. I’m proud of him as an individual to take that kind of individual risk and be that bold for what you feel is right.
“There’s not a chance I would risk any of that to play. My hope would be other guys would join in. And all of us lock arms. And none of us play.”
John Stockton says he supports Kyrie Irving’s vaccine stance
“There’s not a chance I would risk any of that to play. My hope would be other guys would join in. And all of us lock arms. And none of us play.”
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While few players are playing even without getting vaccinated, the New York City COVID-19 mandate prohibited Kyrie Irving from playing in any indoor arena in the city without getting vaccinated. There was a chance for him to play in road games, but the organization was not willing to have him as a part-time staff.
Recent reports suggest that Kyrie Irving might be willing to take a plant-based vaccine. But nothing concrete has developed on that front.
How have the Nets fared without Kyrie Irving?
Nothing has come easy for this Nets team without Kyrie Irving. During the offseason, many believed the team would obliterate their opponents, but with news of Irving's unavailability, their hopes were dashed.
Kevin Durant and James Harden are elite-level players who can be successful without Kyrie Irving, but they will have to be at their best at all times, and that has not been the case so far. Harden has struggled for the better part of the season, claiming to be confused about his role now that Irving is not in the lineup.
Nic. Claxton. 😬
Fair to say KD enjoyed this jam!
@BrooklynNets and Hawks in Q4 on ESPN. https://t.co/dZHhTuSsAQ
Although the Nets are topping the Eastern Conference standings with an 18-8 record, they have been far from dominant. They have had to grind out wins, even as one could argue that they have had an easy run of fixtures.
Kyrie Irving's presence will undoubtedly be a boost. But for now, they will need to continue winning without the All-Star guard. Durant is delivering the goods every night, leading the league in scoring (28.5 points per game), and is one of the frontrunners for the 2022 MVP award.