Nets’ facility doesn’t fall under NYC vax mandate, but home games still out
Unvaccinated Nets star Kyrie Irving is one step closer to returning to the team, at least for practice. New York City has ruled the HSS Training Facility, where the Nets practice in Industry City, is a private office building, giving the franchise the power to set its own COVID-19 vaccination protocols. The determination clears a pathway for Irving, who has been away from the team since they returned from training camp in San Diego, to rejoin his teammates.
Nets head coach Steve Nash said there’s a possibility the superstar scorer could be with his teammates on the road for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but would not commit to a decision one way or another. Irving was ruled ineligible to play in Friday’s preseason matchup against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks due to his status as an unvaccinated player and New York City’s vaccination mandate at Barclays Center.
“It sounds like we may have Kyrie on the road with us, but I’m not sure if he’ll be playing since we haven’t had him for a week, and obviously safety first,” Nash said ahead of tipoff on Friday. “Not gonna put him at a huge risk of injury, but a lot to be worked through. We’re just kind of getting information at the same time you are so, we’ll see.”
Irving was able to join his teammates for training camp in San Diego because the city’s vaccination guidelines are less stiff than those in New York, Oakland and now Los Angeles. Nash called any scenario where Irving can be around his teammates “a positive,” but opted not to comment any further because the details and parameters of Irving’s availability for practice have yet to be firmly established.
“I think the hope is that Kai is at practice tomorrow,” Nash said. “It would be great to have him there. But I can’t confirm that yet.”
Nash also said he doesn’t anticipate his star guard will be available to play on Monday against the 76ers because of how long he’s been off the court while his teammates have been practicing. The Nets coach said they are treating Irving somewhat like they would treat an injured player who is returning to play after a long period off the floor.
“Yeah, more or less because when someone’s able to resume full activity on the court, they still would have to meet a certain amount of intensity before you put them in the game,” he said. “So I think even if you’re not injured, you still have to reach a threshold, and if you are hurt, once you are healthy, you have to meet those thresholds as well.”
The City’s announcement of the HSS Training Facility’s designation as a private office building came just minutes before Nash took the podium to address reporters pregame on Friday. While Nash deemed the development a positive in the journey to get Irving back to the floor, there is still a wide gap between the present and the ideal: Irving being ruled eligible to play at home, and him rejoining Kevin Durant and James Harden on their championship quest.
For that to happen, Irving would need to get at least his first COVID-19 vaccination shot, be granted a religious exemption from taking the vaccine (there is no such exemption in New York City, yet), or find a longshot loophole to exploit, which has yet to be identified.
“We’ll see what happens,” Nash said. “This rule just came in. He has another one coming. Is he going to be allowed to play at home at some point? Not going to be able to practice in our facility at some point? We’re just kind of following the latest, and I don’t think that anyone has been through this before.
“Obviously the pandemic has been new to everyone, but now we’re in a position where the pandemic is creating all these different, new scenarios as well. I really don’t know what to say other than that it’s positive that he can now rejoin his teammates in our practice center and train and gives us more touch points with him and we’ll go from there.”
MILLSAP OUT
Nets star Paul Millsap missed Friday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks after entering the league’s health and safety protocols, Nash said ahead of tipoff. The health and safety protocols are reserved for players who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have come in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
It is unclear how long Millsap will be out or whether he will be available for the season opener in Milwaukee against the Bucks on Oct. 19.