Kyrie Irving Speaks On Not Being Allowed To Play For Brooklyn Nets Due To Vaccination Status: It’s About Choosing What’s Best For You + Suggests He Was ‘Promised’ He Wouldn’t Have To Get Vaccine

Kyrie Irving Speaks On Not Being Allowed To Play For Brooklyn Nets Due To Vaccination Status: It’s About Choosing What’s Best For You + Suggests He Was ‘Promised’ He Wouldn’t Have To Get Vaccine

Kyrie Irving is speaking his truth in the wake of his vaccine controversy!

As previously reported, the NBA recently announced that unvaccinated players would not be paid for missed games. This controversial rule directly impacted players like Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who previously refused to reveal whether or not he got the COVID-19 vaccine. When asked about his vaccination status last month, the 29-year-old athlete replied:

“Honestly, I like to keep that stuff private… I would love to just keep that private and handle it the right way with my team and go forward together with a plan.”

This past Tuesday (Oct. 12th), Sean Marks–the Brooklyn Nets’ general manager–released a statement on the matter and revealed that Kyrie Irving would not be allowed to play for the Nets until he gets vaccinated for coronavirus. He stated:

“He has a choice to make, and he made his choice. My job here is to make what we deem as the best choices for the organization moving ahead as a whole. They’re not always ones that are going to be met with open arms and thumbs up. These are hard decisions.”

Notably, the general manager added:

“If he was vaccinated, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

Marks then stated:

“Kyrie has made it clear he has a choice in this matter and it’s ultimately going to be up to him what he decides. We respect the fact that he has a choice and he can make his own right to choose. Right now, what’s best for the organization is the path we are taking.”

Kyrie Irving

Now, Kyrie Irving is speaking on the matter and facing the controversy head-on! During an Instagram Live yesterday (Wednesday, Oct. 13th), he explicitly addressed being barred from playing for the Nets until he’s vaccinated. Regarding the matter, Kyrie said:

“It’s not always about the money–it’s about choosing what’s best for you. You think I really want to lose money? You think I really want to give up on my dream to go after a championship? You think I really just want to give up my job?… You think I want to give up my livelihood because of the mandate, because I don’t have accommodations because I’m unvaccinated. C’mon–I’m not gonna be used as a person in this agenda. I’m not even gonna speak on that, I’m just saying it should not be divided amongst all of us. It should just be understood and respected.”

“This is not about the Nets, this is not about the organization, it’s not about the NBA, it’s not politics, it’s not any one thing.”

“Don’t believe that I’m retiring. Don’t believe that I’m going to give up this game for a vaccine mandate or staying unvaccinated–don’t believe any of that s**t, man.”

“What would you do if you felt uncomfortable going into the season when you were promised that you have exemptions or that you didn’t have to be forced to get the vaccine? This wasn’t an issue before the season started. This wasn’t something that I foresaw coming where I prepared for it and had a chance to strategize on what was going to be best for me and my family. I came in to the season thinking that I was just gonna be able to play ball.”