Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving won't reconsider COVID-19 vaccine stance in wake of Kevin Durant injury

[Auggie]

CLEVELAND -- Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving made clear Monday that his stance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine will not change in the wake of Kevin Durant's knee injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks.

Irving is unvaccinated and therefore ineligible to play at home because of a local mandate that all professional athletes playing in New York City's public venues be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The Nets originally decided before the regular season began that they would not accommodate Irving as a part-time member of the roster, but reversed course last month after a COVID-19 outbreak decimated the roster.

Irving said that no injury or other circumstance would compel him to change his mind, emphasizing repeatedly that he stands "rooted" in his decision.

"That's what I think comes into a lot of this culture and basketball and sport and entertainment,'' Irving said following Brooklyn's 114-107 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. "You bring in teams and you bring in situations. Kev's going to heal, Kev's going to be OK, and we're going to have to deal with that as his teammates. But in terms of where I am with my life outside of this, I stay rooted in my decision. And that's just what it is."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33088525/brooklyn-nets-kyrie-irving-reconsider-covid-19-vaccine-stance-wake-kevin-durant-injury-stay-rooted-my-decision

Quote: "It's not going to be swayed just because of one thing in this NBA life. That somehow it's brought to my attention as being more important than what's going on in the real world. It's just not happening for me. Again, I respect everyone else's decision, I'm not going to ever try to convince anyone of anything or any of that, I'm just standing rooted in what I believe in. And though we're dealing with this right now with Kev, I just know that I'm protected by the organization, I'm protected by my teammates, I'm protected by all the doctors I've talked to. And I just stand rooted."

Four to six weeks without Durant also means seven or eight home games without Irving.