Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on March 23, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. Justin Ford/Getty Images/AFP
Kyrie Irving is expected to be cleared to play in home games for the Brooklyn Nets as New York eases its vaccine mandates, according to a report Wednesday night by The Athletic.
Other outlets including ESPN reported “cautious optimism” that Irving and other unvaccinated New York athletes would be cleared to play home games soon.
Irving, who turned 30 on Wednesday, is averaging 27.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 19 of the Nets’ 72 games this season. None of those have taken place in New York, where a mandate has required workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to frequent their workplaces — or, in this case, their arena.
A relaxed mandate also would clear the way for unvaccinated players on other New York professional sports teams, such as the Yankees and Mets, to take part in home games.