The Brooklyn Nets' decision to ban an unvaccinated Kyrie Irving from joining the team has received mixed reactions from the public. However, the Nets have one major supporter in New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who herself recently praised the organization for taking a stance against Irving's decision not to get the vaccine.

According to Gov. Hochul, the Nets made a clear statement with their decision on Irving:

“I think the message is that the team itself supports vaccinations,” said Hochul, after delivering a speech at Barclays Center promoting the vaccine to kids under age 12 (h/t Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News). “The vast, vast, vast majority of their players are vaccinated, and they’re here to support making sure that members of the community are vaccinated. That’s the takeaway from today’s event.”

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The COVID-19 vaccine has been one of the most polarizing issues not only in the NBA, but in the entire nation as well. The Nets received praise for not allowing Irving to participate in team activities unless he is a “full participant” (read: up and until he gets vaccinated). However, it also comes as no surprise that the organization was heavily criticized by anti-vaxxers everywhere.

Unfortunately for Gov. Hochul, her noteworthy effort to promote the vaccine came with a bit of a hiccup. The governor did not seem to be aware of the city's mandate on unvaccinated players, and she provided a confusing response when asked to share her thoughts on the same.