The Brooklyn Nets continue a downward trend as they just can't get a healthy team on the floor. The most impactful absence of their season has been Kyrie Irving. His disinterest in getting vaccinated makes everything hard on these Nets. And the team continues to hope for change from NYC, since they seem to have long ago given up hope Irving might change his mind and take the jab.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams gave a lot of people hope Irving might be able to perform in Brooklyn with certain comments he made weeks ago. But ultimately, it may have simply been some mixed signals.

Even as the city looks to ease restrictions on vaccination passports, there is no indication they will make the key change that would allow unvaccinated athletes to perform in arenas like Barclays Center. Irving and the Nets may be disappointed but they're no less hopeful. And it sounds like no less appreciative of the tough spot Mayor Adams finds himself in.

After a tough 126-120 loss on Sunday to Jayson Tatum (54 points) and the Boston Celtics, Irving gave a “shout out” to Mayor Adams.

“Man shout out Eric Adams man,” Irving said. Irving finished with 19 points and six assists. But he wasn't spectacular. And that has fans feeling a certain way since he is only eligible to play in a few more games all season long.

“It's not an easy job to be the Mayor of NYC and with COVID looming, vaccination mandates, everything going on in our world, with this war, Ukraine, and everybody feeling it across America,” Irving said. “I wouldn't wanna be in his shoes right now, trying to delegate whether or not one basketball player coming to play at home. I appreciate his comments and his stance, he knows where I stand and I know one day we'll be able to break bread together. He'll be able to come to the games and hopefully we can pass this time like it never happened in our sense… I'm just grateful that he's on my side as well as the Commissioner [Adam Silver].”

Mayor Adams has expressed that he thinks the rule allowing unvaccinated visiting players to perform in Barclays Center while forbidding unvaccinated local athletes (yes even ones who reside in Northern New Jersey but work in Brooklyn) from playing is unfair. He's made comments specifically that maybe a Celtics fan cooked that rule up. But he is nonetheless reluctant to make the key change since, as he points out, it's the mandates that got his city to a place with low COVID numbers.

So Irving will have to continue to wait.

Fans looking for a silver lining here may take hope that Kyrie is still talking about Brooklyn as home in the future. He does have a player option on his contract. If nothing changes from the city, the Nets may have a tricky decision to make. Does Sean Marks and company choose to offer a max contract extension to a part-time player? But that's all for another day. Irving doesn't sound like he's planning on playing for another franchise.