SAY HI TO KY'?
The Nets are perched atop the Eastern Conference standings despite not having gotten a single second on the court from Kyrie Irving.
But there is at least some hope that could change.
Though Irving hasn’t played this season due to his refusal to comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, there is reportedly optimism he could return at some point in 2021-22, according to The Athletic.
“If we get the gift of his return, we’ll be ecstatic, but we can’t count on it,” coach Steve Nash said recently about an Irving return. “We can’t wait for him. We have to get to work, and get better, and our group’s been awesome this year.”
In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, the city instituted a mandate on large indoor gatherings, gyms, arenas, etc., requiring at least a single vaccine dose. And up to this point, the 29-year-old Irving has steadfastly refused to adhere to it.
That has left Irving ineligible to play home games at Barclays Center. The Nets got the city to classify HSS Training Center as an office rather than a gym, thus facilitating Irving’s ability to at least practice at home.
In October, the Nets announced they wouldn’t let an unvaccinated Irving be a part-time player and suit up just on the road. That has left them without the services of their seventime All-Star, putting added burden on Kevin Durant and James Harden.
But there does at least seem to be what The Athletic termed “renewed optimism around Irving returning to the Nets this season.”
The report doesn’t go into exactly how that would happen. Irving could get at least a single vaccine dose, and meet the city’s mandate (on Dec. 27 players will have to be fully vaccinated under new mandates). Or with new mayor Eric Adams taking office on New Year’s Day, the city could loosen its mandate, thus making the unvaccinated Irving eligible to play home games.
The third option is the Nets relenting and allowing Irving to be a parttime player, practicing and playing only road games.
The notion of the city loosening its mandate seems unlikely, especially with cases climbing due to the Omicron variant and Adams being more pro-vaccine than his outgoing predecessor Bill de Blasio. Adams indicated in November he wouldn’t change the mandates.
The Nets had fully expected Irving to get vaccinated before training camp opened, but he shocked many inside the organization by abruptly declining. General manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai opted against letting him be a part-time player to avoid a distraction.
The Nets are 19-8 overall, with a 1 ½-game lead over Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference entering play on Monday.
Still, Nets players have publicly and privately insisted they want Irving on the floor and will take him back with open arms. The Athletic report states Durant and Irving have been breaking down games together and talking about life in general and playing together again.
DeAndre’ Bembry, who is close with Irving and is a fellow alum of St. Patrick’s in Elizabeth, N.J., said he checks in with Irving and expressed confidence he’ll get through whatever he’s dealing with.
A recent report sourced “people close to” Irving saying the vegan point guard could be swayed whenever a plant-based vaccine gets approved. There is one from a Canadian company currently going through clinical trials, and the company aims to get approval in Japan by March 2022. Based on past precedent, a three-month timeline could theoretically be feasible.
Getting back Irving — who is believed to have been working out and keeping himself in shape — would make Brooklyn the title favorites.