The current situation for Nets' superstar Kyrie Irving is that while he's unvaccinated he isn't currently available to play in Brooklyn. That's not the Nets decision, that's a New York decision. Because of that, the Nets Brass put their head's together and decided Irving would not be allowed to appear in road games either; the team doesn't want any part-time players.
That's been the Nets status quo for weeks now and will probably continue to be the case.
But recent comments made by new Mayor-Elect Eric Adams has at least caused some to wonder if local vaccination mandate rules may change under his leadership.
According to The New York Post's Amanda Woods and Sam Raskin:
“Mayor-elect Eric Adams vowed to “revisit” the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers when he takes office and reach a “resolution” on the matter, as he took an election victory lap Wednesday morning.”
NY Post story on New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams planning to "revisit" the city's Covid-19 vaccine mandates upon taking office on January 1. Nets star Kyrie Irving remains unvaccinated and sidelined because of his decision to not fulfill the mandate. https://t.co/DF58E0qwb9
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 3, 2021
Now before anyone jumps to conclusions, what Adams has referred to specifically would not apply to basketball players, because they're not New York city employees. Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Howard Beck weighed in on Twitter, reminding folks not to overreact to the latest:
Worth noting: While Adams has talked about potentially reviewing the vax mandate for *city workers*, that is a separate issue from the mandate applying to arenas and other venues. https://t.co/dtAk7e9tNc
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) November 3, 2021
But that Adams mentions finding a “resolution” on a matter many presumed was already resolved, the latest suggests a potential willingness on the future Mayor's behalf to examine the situation.
In the event local vaccination rules were lifted, would the Nets welcome Irving back if he were still unvaccinated? Before the showdown against the Atlanta Hawks, head coach Steve Nash was asked that very question.
“I might be speaking out of turn,” explained Nets coach Nash, “but I think if the mandate changes he’d be welcomed back, for sure.”
As of now, there is no reason to think that mandates will be lifted for players or venues like Barclays Center, which hosts massive gatherings. But if we did ultimately see changes come for city workers in the new year, it might set a precedent for more change down the road.
As Nash hints at, it's probably not the head coach's ultimate decision to make; team Governor Joe Tsai, Co-Owner Clara Tsai, General Manager Sean Marks and others would likely collaborate, if that day ever came. But if what the Nets head coach says is true, there exists at least one scenario where Irving avoids getting vaccinated yet gets to suit up for the team and play.
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