Kyrie Irving wants his ultimate decision to take or not to take the vaccine to be up to him and him alone. The Nets point guard doesn't want to be influenced by any outside sources including the team, media or angry fans with pitchforks pressuring him to comply with NYC's local mandates and return to the club.
That being said, Irving is putting the Nets and their fans in a very difficult position by staying in a holding pattern and keeping hope alive, even just slightly, that he'd be back with the team this year.
Honestly, Irving and the Nets may have been better off if he determined during training camp that he was not going to get vaccinated at any point. This would have allowed Sean Marks plenty of lead time to plant seeds with other teams and find the most beneficial move to allow the Nets to get somewhere near full value in return for the mercurial star.
In fact, Irving's vacillating has made him a side story, which is exactly what he didn't want to be. Steve Nash and company have taken the right mindset by keeping a seat on the bandwagon open, while not stopping the season tour and refusing to constantly look in the rearview for Irving to appear.
Whatever issue Irving has with receiving the vaccine, he's made it clear it's personal to him and he'd like to handle it as such. While fans on each side of this argument will battle over the merits of Irving's decision, the reality is nothing has changed since July regarding his status.
While a recent report from Bally Sports indicated Irving may be waiting for and open to a plant-based vaccine, it's hard to get inside the thinking of a man who doesn't always seem to know what he wants himself.
The only thing left to do for the Nets is take back control of the situation and not impose any type of ultimatum, but a deadline to make a decision. If Irving hasn't been vaccinated by New Year's Day, Marks and crew should let it be known to Irving only that they will not only field offers for him, but proactively make calls.
Is this in a way forcing Irving's hand? Absolutely. However, it's in no way coercing him into a decision he doesn't want to make. Brooklyn simply shouldn't be held hostage anymore, especially in a season with championship aspirations and a few missing pieces on the roster it will need to desperately fill to make those dreams a reality.
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