Since Thursday, professional athletes in New York no longer have to be vaccinated. So unvaccinated NBA star Kyrie Irving could make his home debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night (1.30am CET) against Charlotte.
New York Mayor Eric Adams overturned the mandatory vaccination requirement on Thursday. “This is about providing a level playing field for New York athletes,” Adams said. The dropping of the rule also affects Major League Baseball’s Yankees and Mets for the start of the season in April.
The Nets could use Irving’s support as they currently sit in only 8th place in the East, with Irving averaging 27.7 points away from home.
Irving was back in the home booth recently – and was punished
Irving had been absent from the club’s squad at the start of the season because of his refusal to take the Corona vaccination. Later, the Nets had brought him back as a “part-timer”, so he didn’t make his debut until early January.
Most recently, the franchise was fined US$50,000 for Irving’s presence in the dressing room during the home game against the New York Knicks. He was allowed to sit in the front row as a spectator (without a mask) but was not allowed to play.
