Kyrie Irving could return to playing games at the Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center sooner rather than later as New York City Mayor Eric Adams has revealed the city is planning to phase out its COVID-19 mandates. Should new rules come into play, Irving would be free to feature in home games for the Nets despite his vaccination status.
Adams, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday, seemed pretty eager to see the city renege on the current vaccine regulations.
“I can’t wait to get it done,” he said in quotes cited by The Athletic. “Every morning I meet with my health professionals because I’ve always stated I’m going to follow the science. … They gave us benchmarks. We’re going to follow those benchmarks, but I look forward in the next few weeks of going through a real transformation.”
Irving was made to sit out the start of this season due to the Nets not wanting him on as a part-time player, though he was clear to play away games. They eventually backed down, allowing him to make his debut in early January. The star point guard has since played 14 games, averaging 24.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per contest.
Adams, meanwhile, has indicated he will provide further information on the planned mandate lift in a day or two.
