Kyrie Irving lastly made his Barclays Middle season debut Sunday.
He simply didn’t get to play.
New York Metropolis’s relaxed indoor vaccine mandates might have loosened sufficient to permit the unvaccinated Irving within the constructing, however the non-public sector mandates nonetheless preserve him from enjoying at dwelling for the Nets.
The unprecedented state of affairs led to a weird Kafka-esque scene, with Irving making a fashionably late arrival to this nationally televised conflict with the rival Knicks and sitting in his courtside seats watching his Brooklyn teammates play.
The truth that it got here only a couple hours after Mayor Eric Adams prodded the All-Star guard to get vaccinated simply added to the surreal state of affairs.
In one of the dramatic mid-game entrances at Barclays Middle since Kevin Durant was (briefly) cleared from protocols to verify right into a recreation final season — or Prince William and Kate’s second-half arrival to observe LeBron James in 2014 — Irving got here by means of the customer’s tunnel clad in an extended off-white peacoat with black lettering.
With cameras following his each stride, Irving made his means by means of the group, stopping each few ft to shake arms, give hugs and dap up Nets followers as the group roared its approval.
He ultimately made his means courtside, speaking with crew proprietor Joe Tsai. At one level Tsai appeared to step to the aspect — maybe to let the nationwide tv cameras get a transparent shot at his star participant — earlier than the purpose guard ultimately took his seat to observe the remainder of the competition.
A 110-107 Nets victory he might solely observe from ft away, like a fan.
Requested if he’d gotten any clarification as to why Irving can attend video games however not play, Brooklyn coach Steve Nash replied “No.”
When Nash was requested if it made sense to him, he demurred. “You recognize, I’m simply going to remain out of it,” he mentioned. “I don’t wish to wade into an space that I’m not an knowledgeable in.”
A Metropolis Corridor supply instructed The Put up that the non-public sector worker mandate applies to nearly each non-public companies within the metropolis, small or giant. Whereas the non-public sector mandate does have the identical non-resident athlete exception as Key2NYC (the lately repealed indoor venue mandate), that solely applies to athletes enjoying for visiting groups, not native squads.
Therefore, regardless of Irving technically being a West Orange, N.J., resident, as a result of he’s employed by Brooklyn — a New York Metropolis crew — he’s nonetheless lined no matter the place he lives. So he was free to come back to Barclays Middle on Sunday as a fan, simply not as an worker. That’s why he sat in his courtside seat, as a substitute of on the bench.
As of now, for the reason that Nets even have a highway recreation towards the Knicks on the Backyard, Irving is barely eligible for 4 of the 14 remaining regular-season video games.
After all, there's a easy resolution to that situation.
As one Brooklyn fan heckled Adams at a Sunday morning press convention about Irving not with the ability to play at dwelling, Adams — a Nets fan — supplied a easy response on-brand with the town’s pondering.
“And also you’re proper, son. You’re proper. Thanks. Pay attention, you’re proper. Kyrie can play tomorrow: Get vaccinated,” Adams mentioned, with a chuckle and a thumbs-up. “Go forward. I like New York and hecklers. I come out of Metropolis Corridor and individuals are outdoors protesting, and I mentioned ‘Wow, it’s nice to be in New York.’ ”
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