Kyrie Irving returned to practice and is getting ready for his season debut with the Brooklyn Nets, which could happen as early as this week.
The All-Star guard spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on the Nets’ decision to sideline hime back in October, because he was unvaccinated.
Kyrie Irving said he respected the decision of the team and understood the reasoning behind it. He also noted he felt grateful for the chance to return to the lineup.
“Incredibly grateful just to be back in the building. Welcomed back with open arms [from] my teammates, the whole organization. Not gonna lie, it has been relatively tough to watch from the sideline with everything going on in the world.
I know everybody is feeling it [COVID]. Just praying for everybody to be healthy during these times. If I get the opportunity to get on the court and play with my teammates, even if it is just on the road for away games, I am grateful for the opportunity.
I really empathized and I understood their choice to say if you are not going to be fully vaccinated, then you can’t be a full [participant],” the 2016 NBA champion said, via ESPN.
Kyrie Irving remains unvaccinated, which means he can only play in road games, except for trips in Toronto and San Francisco. He can’t play at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden, yet he can practice at Nets’ facility. The veteran guard could make his season debut on January 5, in the road game vs the Indiana Pacers.
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