Nets Say Irving Won’t Play Until Eligible as Full Participant

(Bloomberg) -- Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who has avoided disclosing his vaccination status, will not be allowed to play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant.

“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability,” General Manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

New York City requires a proof of at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine to enter sports arenas, movie theaters, concert halls and other venues.

The team did not specifically say Irving has not received the Covid-19 vaccine, but Irving has dodged questions about whether he’d be able to comply with the city’s vaccine mandates at sports arenas.

In September New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he didn’t think the team should make any exceptions for Irving. 

Players who don’t comply with local vaccine mandates won’t be compensated for games they miss, NBA spokesman Mike Bass told Bloomberg News in September.

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