Irving’s vaccination stance looms large over NBA season

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - The 75th season of the NBA tips off tomorrow with fans focused on Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, whose refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine in defiance of New York City’s mandate led the Nets to announce he would not suit up for the championship contender.

The loaded Nets roster includes Kevin Durant and James Harden but the team will be at a disadvantage without sharpshooting point guard Irving, a seven-time All-Star who won a title with Cleveland in 2016.

Irving, 29, framed his decision as one of personal choice in an Instagram Live video last week.

“Nobody should be forced to do anything with their bodies,” Irving said.

“You only get one of these (bodies). If you choose to get the vaccine, I support you. If you choose to be unvaccinated, I support you.”

More than 700,000 people have died in the United States from COVID-19. Vaccination rates have risen more than 20 percentage points after multiple institutions adopted vaccine requirements, while case numbers and deaths from the virus are down, the White House said last week.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said the widely available vaccines can keep the recipient from getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 while protecting others, particularly those at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

“It was a bold move by Brooklyn,” former NBA coach and current ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy told reporters on a call.

“I’m sure it came after great deliberation and speaking to Durant and Harden to see how they felt.”

New York’s mandate requires proof of at least one shot of the vaccine to enter large indoor spaces. The NBA has said players who are unable to compete due to local mandates will miss out on pay.

Van Gundy said Brooklyn has accumulated enough talent to win a championship even without Irving but said he expects to see the situation get worked out one way or another.

“I think it will get resolved, and I don’t know how,” he said.

“I think we’ll see him play this year, and I’m hopeful for Brooklyn and really for NBA fans that we do, because he’s a special, special talent.”

POINT GUARDS ON THE MOVE