CLEVELAND — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving insists an injury
to teammate Kevin Durant won't change his stance on not getting the
COVID-19 vaccine.
Irving, who only recently returned to action
after a drawn-out stalemate over getting vaccinated, said Monday
following a loss to the Cavaliers that he has no intention of getting
the shot — and nothing will sway him.
"That's my decision already, and I'm standing on it,” Irving said.
The
seven-time All-Star point guard has become a lightning rod of sorts for
his decision not to get the vaccine. And due to COVID-19 mandates in
New York City concerning public arenas, Irving is not permitted to play
in home games.
His decision to remain unvaccinated is having a
dramatic impact on the Nets and their ability to contend for an NBA
championship, something that almost seemed assured when the team landed
Irving, Durant and James Harden.
With Durant potentially sidelined
for six weeks with a knee injury suffered Saturday, Irving was asked if
he's feeling more pressure to get vaccinated.
Irving made it clear he's not been moved to act.
“That's
what I think comes into a lot of this culture and basketball and sport
and entertainment,” Irving said in his strongest comments on the
sensitive subject. "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. It’s not going to be swayed just because of one thing is
this NBA life that somehow it’s brought to my attention to being more
important than what’s going on in the real world.
“It’s just not happening for me.”
Irving
scored a team-high 27 points in Brooklyn's 114-107 loss to the
Cavaliers. It was just his fourth game back this season with the Nets,
who have been dealing with injuries — and other distractions — since
acquiring Harden to play with Irving and Durant.
During his
postgame interview, Irving said he's bothered that his decision is being
questioned and that it's almost always framed in the context of his
profession — not his personal life.
“I respect everyone else’s
decision,” he said. "I’m not going to try to convince anyone of anything
or anything like that. 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’m just staying rooted.”
The 29-year-old Irving has never
shied away from speaking his mind on any subject, and that openness has
often led to criticism, and in his view, being misunderstood.
Irving took offense at being asked if there was anything that would make him reconsider the vaccine.
“I
live my life the majority of the time when I’m away from this, so when I
say I’m not getting vaccinated, I’m making a choice with my life and
somehow it gets mixed into, ’What about the basketball?' Like no, bro,"
he said.
“We live in a real world. It’s great to be able to do
this. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I love being with my teammates. I
love playing on the Nets, but I’ve already been away enough time to
think about this, to process it, to be able to make this decision, stand
strong.
"Understand that people are going to agree and disagree.
The circumstances that are at hand, I’m praying they get changed and
we’re able to do things differently and that’s not just for me — that’s
for all that are dealing with being unvaccinated and being fired from
work on a day to day basis.
"It’s not just about me. That’s been my message the whole time.”