Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status was perhaps the story of the Brooklyn Nets’ 2021-22 season, even amidst all the other turmoil around the team, and for a long time, the thought process was that Kyrie was unvaccinated not just for himself, but to be a “voice for the voiceless” as well.
But on Nets Media Day on Monday, Kyrie gave more of a human side to his decision and its effects on him specifically.
“I gave up 4 years, $100-something million deciding to be unvaccinated. That was the decision – contract and get vaccinated, or be unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty in your future, of whether you’ll be on this team or in the league,” Irving said, referencing how long-term extension talks were tabled last year because of his vax status. “We were supposed to have all that figured out before training camp last year. It just didn’t happen due to my status of being unvaccinated. It was a tough pill to swallow. I had to deal with that real life circumstance of losing my job, and I was dealing with all of those emptions while trying to secure my future for my family, ultimately.”
Furthermore, Kyrie felt like he was forced into that ultimatum, even after he had “tough conversations” with Nets ownership and team brass that led to mutual respect of each others’ positions.
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“I felt like I was forced with an ultimatum, whether I had a contract or not, whether or not I could be on or around the team depending on whether or not I was vaccinated,” Irving said. “Tough conversations were had, and we all left out of there with respect. I understood where the organization was coming from, and they understood where I was coming from – but I was definitely put in that position where I had to make a decision.”
On top of it, Kyrie says he “didn’t appreciate” that the voice for the voiceless narrative became a stigma, because it’s bigger than him or anyone else.
“I didn't appreciate how me being unvaccinated all of a sudden came to be a stigma within my career that I don't want to play, or I'm willing to give up everything to be a voice for the voiceless,” Irving said. “Which I will stand on here and say that wasn’t the only intent I had – it was to stand on something that as bigger than myself, and I was going to understand far into the future, but I didn’t know when.”
Thanks to rollbacks in NYC’s vaccine mandates, Irving is eligible to play everywhere, and this will hopefully be the first season since 2018-19 where he plays uninterrupted by pandemics, injuries, mental health, or vaccination status.
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And he’s roaring to go, especially after the summer the Nets had, and double especially following the Nets getting swept by Boston in the playoffs to end last season.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fuel to the fire – it was one of the first times I've been embarrassed leaving the court.",” Irving said of the sweep. “This year, the sky’s the limit.”
And that’s why, despite the vaccination issues, the KD drama, and everything else, Irving decided to opt in to the final year of his current deal.
“It was a cluster-(expletive),” he said of Brooklyn’s summer. “Hearing Kev put in a trade request, I opt-in…I’m sitting at home, it's awkward, but making the decision to come back to Brooklyn was the best one for me.”
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