With the new NBA season starting later this month, the Brooklyn Nets faced the uncertainty of missing Kyrie Irving in half the team’s games over a local health requirement that all players must be vaccinated in order to be allowed to participate in team activities.
It was reported earlier this week that Irving was cleared for practice after the Nets’ training facility was ruled to be a private office – but the organization is now drawing a hard line internally, and will not permit Irving to participate in any team activities until he meets the requirements for full participation. That means Irving will either have to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an exemption, or he will be unable to play for the Nets this season.
In a statement issued by Nets general manager Sean Marks, the organization declared that Irving will not be allowed to participate in any team activities until he has met the requirements to be considered fully eligible.
While the Nets continue to publicly support Irving’s “individual right to choose,” the statement delivered a clear message to Irving that he needs to resolve the situation. Marks noted that all players must honor “values of togetherness and sacrifice” and calling for the organization to “pull in the same direction.”
“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not 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. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice. Our championship goals for the season have not changes, and to achieve those goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction.”
This post originally appeared on Nets Wire.
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