Kyrie Irving has yet to play a single basketball game this season because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19, and it doesn’t seem as if he’s going to be getting that shot anytime soon.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, who’s known to have good sourcing inside Kyrie Irving’s camp, wrote on Monday that the disgruntled star is still reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccine because of possible “long-term side effects”, but that he’s regularly working out, keeping active, and is, according to one source, “the happiest that I’ve seen Kyrie in years” even without basketball.
Robinson also added that Irving doesn’t want to be seen as anti-vaccine.
“Those closest to him also have shared that Irving knows anything he says will be magnified and scrutinized and he doesn’t want to be viewed as an anti-vaxxer. He’s not taking this stance to be a voice for the voiceless. He’s just not trusting of the available vaccines, according to sources.”
Robinson quoted Irving’s “circle” on his concerns about the “long-term effects” of the COVID vaccines.
“Among Irving’s circle, the general consensus is that he is not anti-vaccination and believes everyone has the right to make their own decision. His apprehension about the COVID vaccine stems from his concerns about the possibility of long-term side effects, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are “extremely unlikely.”
Steve Nash said he had not talked with Irving about a possible plant-based option.
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“If we get the gift of his return, we’ll be ecstatic, but we can’t count on it,” the Nets coach said at practice on Monday. “We can’t wait for him. We have to get to work, and get better, and our group’s been awesome this year.”
His choosing not to be jabbed has taken him away from the Nets, who under a New York City mandate cannot allow him to play home games at Barclays Center and have not allowed the star point guard to only play in road games.
Without him, the Nets are first in the Eastern Conference with a 17-8 record.
