By Gio Gennero | Sports Writer
Kyrie Irving is one of my favorite players of all time, and I admire the way he stands by his beliefs no matter the scrutiny that comes with it. That being said, I firmly believe he should get the COVID-19 vaccine so he can return to play full time.
The Brooklyn Nets’ guard has played 10 games this season, missing 41 of their 51 games played. Irving isn’t allowed to play with the team in home games because of the vaccine mandate in New York, which Kyrie declined to take. Do not misunderstand this take — I am all for it being your choice whether you get the vaccine or not. However, I don’t like what Irving is doing by only playing in road games and being a part-time NBA player.
Since superstar teammate forward Kevin Durant is out with injury, the team needs Irving full time as they are struggling and have lost their last six games. With Irving in and out of the lineup, it’s difficult for the Nets to really get into a rhythm and it has visibly upset his teammates.
I don’t think they’re upset with him for not wanting the vaccine, I believe it is because this isn’t the first time he has shown questionable commitment to the team.
Last season he informed the team he would miss games for personal reasons, which I mostly understand because I know how hard it can be to perform when your mental health is not at its best. However, while he was missing seven consecutive games, pictures and videos emerged online, and news broke that he was partying with family for birthday celebrations. I love celebrating birthdays with family, but when you get paid millions of dollars to play and compete for championships, there is no excuse for abandoning your team for parties while also breaking the league’s health and safety protocols.
Irving is a seven-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year, an NBA champion and widely regarded to have the best handles of all time. Unfortunately, I see the past two seasons damaging his legacy in a big way. Doing his own thing, refusing to play and not communicating with his team or the media is leaving a bad stain on his legacy. He may not care, but the former fan favorite has become the center of controversy over the past few seasons and the longer he deicides to not play full time, the more I question his commitment to the game. What makes it crazier to me is how close he was to the late Kobe Bryant, who often mentored Irving. Bryant was known for his “Mamba Mentality” where he would do anything and everything to win.
If Kyrie wants to continue playing in the league at a high level and competing for championships, he needs to get the vaccine like the rest of his team and put all of this behind him. He seems like he is headed down the same path as Antonio Brown rather than following in the footsteps of Bryant. I really hope he solves this soon and gets back on the court full time and continues to put everyone who attempts to guard him on a highlight reel.
