Kyrie left fate of Nets' season up to nonsensical NYC mandate

 

Blame Eric Adams, New York City public officials or whomever you'd like for why unvaccinated Kyrie Irving can't play at Barclays Center but can attend as a fan, yet the reality is rules are rules.

No matter how nonsensical, arbitrary or not rooted in science the rules are, Irving and the Nets had to know his part-time eligibility was a likely scenario.

When Irving elected not to take an FDA approved vaccine that has flattened the COVID-19 pandemic curve significantly, he left the fate of his and the team's season up to local officials.

And, here we are, approaching the final ten games of the year with Irving's status still in limbo. The Nets even reversed course on their initial decision to preclude Irving from playing in games to start the year as a part-time player, only to allow him to return in January.

Irving had a personal choice to take the vaccine and he put his priorities ahead of the team's, the city's and the fan's. Any way you slice it, basketball is a team sport that calls for sacrifice in many regards, and while it would be acceptable if Irving had a medical it religious exemption, that is not the case.

Irving hasn't truly revealed the reason behind his unwillingness to get vaccinated except to say that he's doing it for the people who are losing their jobs for making the same choice.

Ironically, Mayor Adams fired approximately 1,400 city employees for not complying with local vaccine mandates and now everyone is clamoring to make an exception for Irving.

Is it fair to fire people living paycheck to paycheck for not getting vaccinated, while allowing Irving, a multimillionaire, generational talent to play for Brooklyn?

Absolutely not.

Irving had an opportunity to avoid this disastrous scenario, but made an unpopular choice that he and the team are now bearing consequences of.

In a pandemic that has taken the lives of millions worldwide and there's little room for pity and empathy in Irving's case.