Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will not join teammates until he's fully eligible to play under New York's COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, Nets GM Sean Marks said Tuesday.
Marks in a statement said the Nets respect Irving's "individual right to choose" but that that choice "restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team." Marks added that the Nets would not allow any member of the team to participate on a part-time basis.
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Irving is not vaccinated for COVID-19. He would require proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot to enter Brooklyn's Barclays Center, the home of the Nets.
The team's first regular season game for the 2021-22 season is on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, and it'll presumably happen without Irving in attendance.