"They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it" - LeBron James lobbies for Kyrie Irving to play home games
Kyrie Irving's inability to play home games has taken a different turn, and LeBron James has lent his voice to his cause. Irving is allowed to attend home games as a spectator but is not allowed to play in games as an employee. This was made possible by the lifting of the vaccine mandate by the mayor's office, allowing unvaccinated fans to watch games at the Barclay Center.
This development has been met with backlash from fans and players, including teammate Kevin Durant. Durant shared his frustration about the mandate allowing Irving to attend games in New York City but not play. He called out New York City Mayor Eric Adams, asking him to find a solution so Irving can playing in all games.
FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth. 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️ #FreeKyrie twitter.com/cuffsthelegend…
James took to his Twitter page to lend his voice, quoting a tweet made by NBA Insider and analyst Cuffs The Legend. He affirmed Cuffs The Legend's tweet, saying "they say if common sense was common then we'd all have it" as a jab at Adams.
"FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth. #FreeKyrie."
Kyrie Irving allowed to attend home games as a spectator but not play
Kyrie Irving has played in only 18 games this season. His refusal to be vaccinated deprived him of playing in games in New York City (and Canada) because of the city's COVID-19 regulations.
The Brooklyn Nets originally decided that If they can't have Irving play every game, they'd rather not have him at all. The franchise reversed that decision in December. A positive test then held back Irving initially, and he played his first game Jan. 5 at the Indiana Pacers.
Irving will be able to play in only four of Brookyn's final 14 games.
NBA fans react to Nets getting $50K fine for letting Kyrie Irving in team locker room: complex.com/sports/nba-fan…
He has since played in 18 games, with the Nets going 7-11. He is averaging 25.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 36.2 minutes per game.
Until a few days ago, fans were required to show their proof of vaccination in order to be eligible to attend the games in New York. While the city has lifted the mandate requesting only vaccinated people in the arena, the mandate remains active for workers in the arena.
One of the issues being raised about the mandate is that it does not apply to visitors. As such, it allows unvaccinated players from teams outside of NYC to play in NYC arenas in Brooklyn and Manhattan but not Kyrie Irving. Sunday's game against the Knicks was a testament to how strained people are with this mandate and its limitations on Irving and the Nets by extension.