Kyrie Irving has been the face of the anti-vaccine resistance in the NBA. However, it seems the Brooklyn Nets superstar is not against the COVID-19 vaccine after all.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the real reason Irving is not getting vaccinated is because he doesn't like it that people are getting fired from their jobs due to the mandates in different cities. Per The Athletic's source, Irving wants to use the platform he has to give a voice to those people who have their livelihoods affected because of the imposed vaccine rules.
It is worth noting that New York and San Francisco have COVID-19 workplace vaccine mandates, which affected NBA teams such as the Nets, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge of Irving’s decision have told The Athletic that Irving is not anti-vaccine and that his stance is that he is upset that people are losing their jobs due to vaccine mandates. It’s a stance that Irving has explained to close teammates. To him, this is about a grander fight than the one on the court and Irving is challenging a perceived control of society and people’s livelihood, according to sources with knowledge of Irving’s mindset. It is a decision that he believes he is capable to make given his current life dynamics. “Kyrie wants to be a voice for the voiceless,” one source said.
Kyrie Irving seems firm on his refusal to not get vaccinated, but as Charania's report indicated, the Nets star is “not believed to be anti-science.”
This contradicts earlier reports about Irving being anti-vaccine, with rumors even saying that he is spreading conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Unfortunately, while his stance and mission are conceptually and theoretically for a good cause, it won't help him in any way return to the basketball court until he is vaccinated. For what it's worth, the Nets have decided not to allow Irving to practice and play with them until he becomes a full-time participant–meaning he needs to get vaccinated.
The good news for the Nets is that this report, if true, means Irving has no qualms about the vaccine itself. With that said, after he makes his statement and sparks a meaningful change in American society (presuming that is indeed his goal), he could get the shot and return to the team.
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