N.Y.C. Mayor Says Kyrie Irving Can't Play at Home, Despite Lift of Indoor Vaccine Mandate
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While New York City is lifting a major vaccine mandate next week, Mayor Eric Adams says Kyrie Irving will not be able to lace up his basketball shoes at home just yet.
Adams told CNBC that Irving, the star point guard of the Brooklyn Nets, will remain unable to play in New York City until he is vaccinated against COVID-19, even though the city plans to remove vaccination requirements for indoor activities on March 7.
"Listen, I want Kyrie on the court. I would do anything to get that ring," Adams, who was elected mayor in November, told the outlet on Monday. "So badly, I want it. But there's so much at stake here. And I spoke with the owner of the team. We want to find a way to get Kyrie on the court, but this is a bigger issue."
Despite the change in COVID-19 guidelines, other vaccine orders in the city will remain in place, including one that requires COVID-19 shots for employees of New York-based in-person businesses, CBS Sports reported.
That means 29-year-old Irving will be unable to play at Barclays Center in Brooklyn or Madison Square Garden in Manhattan until he is vaccinated or the mandate is lifted. Adams said he won't be making an exception for the NBA veteran.
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"I can't have my city closed down again," Adams said during his appearance on CNBC's Squawk on the Street. "It would send the wrong message just to have an exception for one player when we're telling countless number of New York City employees, 'If you don't follow the rules, you won't be able to be employed.' "
He added: "Businesses have their vaccine mandate. City employees have their vaccine mandates. I have to follow the rules. And trust me, I want Kyrie on the court. We are here right now opening our city because of vaccine mandates. We can't close down again."
Irving has already missed a majority of games this season due to being unvaccinated. In December 2021, the Nets decided they would bring Irving back to the team on a part-time basis, allowing him to play in road games that do not fall under New York City's mandate.
RELATED: Kyrie Irving Says He 'Understood' Why Nets Banned Him for Being Unvaccinated: 'I Respected It'
At the time, Irving opened up about how he felt about not playing the first few months of the season due to his vaccination status.
"I understood their decision [to sideline me] and I respected it," Irving said, according to New York Post reporter Brian Lewis. "I really had to sit back and try not to become too emotionally attached to what they were deciding to do. I had to sit down and really evaluate things and see it from their perspective."
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According to the New York Times, at least 65 percent of the country has received two COVID-19 shots.
Cases have declined after spiking in January, with only 64,276 Americans reporting new infections on Monday. That represents a 60 percent drop over the last two weeks.
The Nets currently have a 32-30 record and are eighth in the Eastern Conference.
