Kyrie Irving benched until he receives vaccination

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will not practice or play with the team until he receives the COVID-19 vaccine. The state of New York currently has vaccination mandates when it comes to certain situations and activities. Those mandates would preclude Irving from practicing and playing in the Nets’ home stadium, as he is vocally unvaccinated.

ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported the news, along with a Nets press release, on Tuesday morning.

In the release, the Nets stated that he needs to be a “full participant” in team activities, instead of saying he needs to be fully vaccinated. Despite that not being the language, that is indeed what Brooklyn wants him to do. Irving would not be able to practice or play NBA games in New York in any capacity without a vaccination, thus the Nets’ usage of “part-time availability.”

Since joining the Nets, Irving has played in just 74 games, averaging 27 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds. Along with teammates James Harden and Kevin Durant, Irving and Brooklyn are currently the favorite to win the NBA Championship.

For more information on where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you, or for more information about the vaccine, click here.

Featured image courtesy of Steven Ryan/Getty Images

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