Kyrie Irving’s decision to not comply with a local vaccine mandate has resulted in the Nets barring him from all team activities moving forward, and thanks to a new report citing sources close to Irving, we may now have a better understanding as to why Irving has been hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving is not “anti-vaccine,” he’s instead taking a stand for unvaccinated workers who are under threat of losing their jobs due to vaccine mandates.
Via The Athletic:
“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.”
As it stands now, Irving is not allowed to practice or play in any games with Brooklyn. The 29-year-old has also been officially ruled out of the preseason considering his ineligibility to play in home games.
The Nets are set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday at Barclays Center in preseason action.
This post originally appeared on Nets Wire.
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