In late September, reports surfaced that Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving had not got the COVID-19 vaccine, despite a local New York law that states that players who are not vaccinated will miss games and other team events. Andrew Wiggins, who played for the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, faced a similar situation before opting for the vaccine.
However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst claimed on Tuesday evening that the Nets are “undecided” about whether Irving would get vaccinated, and that no concrete decisions have been made on how the organization will proceed.
Wojnarowski and Windhorst said in the report that the Nets’ “hope is dwindling,” and that the organization is now at least ready for Irving to miss lengthy periods of the season. Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash indicated this week that the team will not move its workouts to accommodate Irving, which might create a problem in the long run.
The star of the entire ESPN story may be the revelation that the Nets are considering whether to have Irving come in and out of the squad depending on where he is, or whether to “just keep him sidelined all together.” Beyond that bleak reality for this season, the source mentions that the Nets “could ultimately have to make hard decisions on Irving’s future” if he refuses to take the vaccine, ensuring his inability to play in New York.
“I know that I’ll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team and be there for my growing tribe off the court,” Irving shared at Brooklyn’s Media Day last week. “I know the focus has to be at an all-time high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this. I’m doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart.”
Irving would lose nearly $380,000 in compensation for each game missed under the present standards, totaling more than $15 million in lost revenue if the situation remained throughout the 2020-21 season. Even with the presence of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and one of the league’s strongest rosters to cushion the blow, the Nets would miss him enormously on the court.
Overall, the Nets face a very difficult situation should Irving continue to remain unvaccinated. Brooklyn is the betting favorite to win the 2022 NBA title but, with Irving either out of the picture or not present for half of the team’s games (and myriad practices), the team’s short-term outlook becomes blurrier.
