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Kyrie Irving will officially pay a hefty price for missing games in his local market




Kyrie Irving is backed into a corner. The presumably unvaccinated guard will not just be precluded from playing in all regular season home games missed, which would amount to all 41, including two games played at Madison Square Garden, but he would forgo his game check entirely.

Irving is due $33.3 million this year and would relinquish part of that for refusing to comply with New York City mandates and the newly imposed NBA penalty that will dock players pay.

The NBA is playing hardball with regards to vaccine requirements and while the NBAPA has rebuffed the idea of a vaccine mandate, this course of action by the league is forcing its players' hands.

Irving hasn't ruled out the idea of joining his teammates for activities in Brooklyn at some point, but the latest step by the NBA has drawn a line in the sand.

Things will get very interesting from here on out, because we'll see if Irving stays steadfast in his anti-vaccine beliefs or whether the hefty price he'll have to pay will be enough to convince him to comply with local vaccine mandates in New York.

David Letterman's humorous exchange with KD served alternative purpose for Nets




 The Brooklyn Nets are a shrewd organization from top to bottom. So, when former late host made an appearance at Nets' Media Day with a noteworthy humorous exchange with Kevin Durant, his presence was as much a public relations stunt as it was anything.

While Kyrie Irving's vaccination status was a major talking point among fans and pundits, having Letterman pose as a reporter and eat into time dedicated to Durant's presser helped take some of the heat off the Nets' star left to answer for his absent teammates.



With the media somewhat disarmed by Letterman's dry humor, that video went viral and served as a distraction to the difficult reality that Irving appears willing to miss home games and practices in light of New York City's vaccine mandate.

You have to give a tip of the cap to Nets' PR because on a day that was nothing short of a disappointment for many Brooklyn fans, SportsCenter and many digital platforms featured the light hearted moment to create a positive story around the team.

It's the oldest public relations trick in the book, create a misdirection and inviting a celebrity to media day accomplished exactly that. Letterman was one of the stars of the show, but didn't entirely overshadow Irving's frustration situation. At least it provided cheerful moments for what will be a complicated conundrum for the team to navigate.

Kyrie Irving doesn't want to be a 'distraction' to Nets, but that's exactly what he is

 



Kyrie Irving made an appearance at Nets' Media Day, but it was via Zoom and not in person since he still remains unvaccinated.

Brooklyn's floor general insisted that he wanted to make things a private matter, and asked the media and fans to respect his privacy.

Irving declined to comment on his vaccination status or availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn this upcoming season.



The Nets' point guard indicated that he didn't want to serve as a distraction to the team, but the fact that his vaccination status has been the main storyline of the day and not the team chasing a title is evidence enough that it is indeed a distraction.

Reading between the lines, it's clear that Irving is still unvaccinated, but he's also the vice president of the NBA's Player Association with significant klout and influence over matters related to the league.

The NBAPA has declined a proposed league mandate on vaccines while New York City and San Francisco vaccine mandates supersede anything the league has in place.

From the sound of it, it appears Irving is willing to sit out home games and remain unvaccinated, but he's clearly fighting behind the scenes to revise eligibility for unvaccinated players.

Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver can't influence lawmakers in both cities to reverse course or amend the mandate, so it appears both sides are dug in and at this point Irving's availability will be a major distraction throughout the season, at least until a resolution is put in place.

Member of Nets' Big Three gives verbal commitment to stay in Brooklyn long-term




 Sean Marks has had conversations with James Harden and Kyrie Irving about inking long-term extensions to remain in Brooklyn, and the former appears committed to bringing a title to the organization and willing to commit long-term.

Harden's comments put Nets' fans minds at ease regarding his future with the club, and while a long-term extension has yet to be officially reached, the team's top playmakers don't appear to be going anywhere else anytime soon.

Harden dubbed the Nets' big three as "Scary hours" last season and with a fortified bench stockpiled with grizzled veterans, he's now updated that label to, "Scarier Hours."

The cliffhanger for the organization is the free agent statuses of Irving and Harden, so it's fresh on Nets'fans minds.

Irving's availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn is a major storyline as New York City's vaccine requirements preclude him from participating in events at Barclays Center and HSS Training Center.

On a day where Irving's resistance to the vaccine remains a hot button issue, Harden's verbal commitment creates positive vibes around Nets Media Day.



Report: Kyrie Irving expected at Nets media day where vaccinations are required

 As per basketball insider, Adam Zagoris, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to be in attendance at Nets media day at HSS Center in Brooklyn on Monday.

The Nets will meet with reporters in Brooklyn before departing for San Diego to open training camp later this upcoming week. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Irving would require to be vaccinated to attend any type of public event at HS* Center, so his anticipated attendance contradicts the recent reports that the point guard remains unvaccinated. 

 If Irving's reported appearance on Monday comes to fruition it would put an end to speculation that an integral member of Brooklyn's big three would sit out home games and practices held in the state of New York. 

 Fans will get a definitive answer on Irving's vaccination status on Monday if he is indeed present for the team's media day.

Guessing the hidden meaning behind Kyrie Irving's latest tweet

Kyrie Irving is a far out individual. Whether it's his outlandish views about the shape of the Earth, government conspiracy theories, or his on-court ritual of burning sage that he performed at the start of last season, there's never a shortage of opinions on the Nets talented, yet mercurial floor general.
 
So, when Irving tweets, it sets NBA Twitter on fire. The majority of his posts are cryptic in nature and his most recent tweet follows that same trend. NBA fans are left searching for the true meaning of the tweet. Is Irving at peace with his decision to reportedly stay unvaccinated? 

 Is he at peace with the reports from FoxSports suggesting he would retire from the league if traded by the Nets? 

 Or is he simply zenning out and connecting with his own spirituality to spread peace to the world? 

 It's anyone's guess exactly what is going on in Irving's mind. Meanwhile, Irving reportedly remains one of two Nets still unvaccinated on the squad and the team will hold its media day at Barclays Center starting Monday, September 27 before departing for training camp in San Diego.

 You better believe Irving's status for the upcoming season will be the source of unrelenting questions from fans and the media still unsure of what his intentions are relating to New York's vaccine mandate.

Report: Kyrie Irving still unvaccinated; status for Nets home games, practices in NY uncertain

Sean Marks revealed that two Nets players were still unvaccinated as of this week, but what fans learned on Friday, per FoxSports, is that Kyrie Irving is one of those players.

Training camp opens in San Diego next week, so this development won't impact Irving's ability to attend and participate in camp, but upon the team's return to Brooklyn, the point guard would be precluded from playing in any home games or partaking in practice in New York. 

 The city mandate prohibits unvaccinated players who call the cities of San Francisco and New York City home from playing with fellow vaccinated teammates in that host city. The NBA player's association is fighting the push to institute a leaguewide mandate, so that is off the table for the time being. 

 The only silver lining is that Marks expressed confidence that the two unvaccinated Nets would be vaccinated in the week ahead, but time is ticking on the start of training camp and Irving along with James Harden's contract extensions are organization cliffhangers

Nets won't trade Kyrie, period; especially for Ben Simmons

The rumor mill is running wild and media reports about Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons are filling the void left in basketball fans minds until live game action gets underway in a matter of weeks.



Simmons reportedly informed the Sixers that he won't report to training camp and has already played his last game with the organization, meanwhile, Irving's representatives have reportedly told teams that the Nets point guard will retire if sent packing from Brooklyn. The notion that Kevin Durant's presence is the only thing keeping this proposed move from happening is absolutely ludicrous.

It's 2021, so the media can run wild with any scenarios that are feasible in any distant planet. Don't let the facts ruin a good story as a Simmons for Irving swap is about as likely as James Harden winning a slam dunk competition.

Those odds, in case you were wondering, are slim and none. Perhaps the reporting is accurate, and only said reporter knows for a fact, but NBA fans both hardcore and casual can detect a ridiculous rumor when they hear one and this recent report defies all logic and is as farfetched as they come.

Sean Marks confident that unvaccinated Nets players will be vaccinated and eligible before start of season

 



Nets general manager Sean Marks put many basketball fans minds at ease that while a couple players are still unvaccinated on the roster, he anticipates they will be in the near future and be practicing with the team in time for the start of the season.

Due to a multitude of reasons, Marks did not divulge what players he was referring to or a specific timeline, but understood that the vaccine matter is a personal choice.

New York City along with San Francisco have already mandated vaccines for employees are anyone looking to enter an arena or entertainment venue and that applies to all Nets and Knicks players.

On the federal level, President Joe Biden has instituted a mandatory vaccine requirement for employees at that companies employ over 100 people.

The NBA has yet to make a league wide mandate, but based on Marks' comments, that may also be on the table.

The health and eligibility of the Nets players to start the season was a major taking point this off-season and source of angst, but it appears that hurdle has been cleared.

Nets' GM: 'Further discussions' with Kyrie, Harden will take place over next 'week to two weeks'

 



Nets general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash met with the media on Tuesday. Among the many takeaways from the press conference, anticipated contract extensions for Kyrie Irving and James Harden was chief among them. On the extension front, things are moving in the right direction, but not quite there yet.

Brooklyn's front office leader indicated that with players including Irving and Harden tending to off-season activities related to rehab, community events, time with family, face to face negotiations are expected to intensify.

Marks hinted that he's had very positive discussions with both players including their representatives and family members about solidifying a future in Brooklyn for the backcourt mates.

As far as the pending contract extensions being viewed as a distraction, Marks doesn't subscribe to that and attributes a lack of face to face meeting time as the main culprit for why agreements aren't yet in place.

Exactly one week from today, the Nets open training camp in San Diego, and while Marks' self-imposed deadline could be in jeopardy, the long-term prospects of Harden and Irving remaining with the Nets appears to be positive.