Official statement from Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks on guard Kyrie Irving, who currently still cannot play home games at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center due to New York’s vaccine mandate:
“After discussions with our coaches, players and staff, the organization has decided to have Kyrie Irving rejoin the team for games and practices in which he is eligible to participate. We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols. We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster. We look forward to Kyrie’s return to the lineup, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court.”
Per the New York Daily News, “news of his return comes as the NBA reels in the wake of the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Irving, who has opted not to get vaccinated, will return as a second wave of positive COVID-19 cases hits the NBA entering the new year, in particular a Nets team currently missing seven players in the league’s health and safety protocols.”
