Stunned fans believe the plight of NBA star Kyrie Irving proves Covid rules have finally gone too far in a ridiculous scenario.
Kyrie Irving has made a mockery of New York’s vaccine mandate, turning up to his team’s NBA clash on Monday (AEST) despite not being able to play.
The Brooklyn Nets star refuses to get the jab and is barred from playing in his home stadium because of a mandate for employees in the Big Apple, requiring them to be vaccinated in certain industries.
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Irving is able to play in other cities and states across America, but not New York.
On Monday, the 29-year-old reportedly paid out of his own pocket for tickets to watch his Nets play the New York Knicks, as he took his seat in the crowd like thousands of others. He was able to watch the game, maskless, from inside the stadium, yet was not able to set foot on the floor.
It comes after he attended the Barclays Centre on Sunday too to watch a college basketball game.
The bizarre situation was too much for NBA fans, who couldn’t understand the double standards. While there was an acceptance at the start of the season Irving had cost himself the chance to play with his anti-vax stance, many believe the latest development has turned the scenario into a complete farce and if he is allowed to enter the Barclays Centre to watch, then they suggest he should be allowed to play.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Irving was even mingling with teammates and coaches in the locker room at halftime.
“Irving is able to move freely inside Barclays Centre as a spectator — a special one, at that — but is not able to play,” Charania tweeted.
Basketball megastar LeBron James was one of many to hit out.
“FACTS FACTS FACTS!! It literally makes ABSOLUTELY ZERO SENSE!!! They say if common sense was common then we’d all have it. Ain’t that the truth. #FreeKyrie,” he tweeted.
NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote: “Is there a reasonable/sane/choose your adjective explanation to account for the Nets’ Kyrie Irving being allowed to attend games Saturday and Sunday at Barclays Centre as an unmasked courtside spectator but not be allowed to play at Barclays Centre?
“Smarter colleague than me notes that the rule was enacted because threatening one’s job led to more vaccine compliance than merely barring citizens from social stuff. But we’ve also reached a point that seemingly every Covid rule has been relaxed except one that applies to Kyrie.”
Right-wing media personality Clay Travis called it “beyond absurb” while Michael Lee of the Washington Post said: “It wouldn’t be too complicated if Kyrie Irving had just gotten the vaccine but you really can’t make sense of a policy that allows him to sit in the stands to watch a college basketball game but prohibits him from playing an NBA game in the same building.”
Isaac Saul added: “It’s just really so silly to see Kyrie Irving sitting front row at Barclays, maskless, yet unable to play.”
Brittney Elena added: “Really can’t believe Kyrie had to pay for a court side seat at his own game!!!️ WILD.”
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