Kyrie Irving was just the jolt the Brooklyn Nets needed to escape a midseason slump.
Kyrie Irving was just the blowout that the Brooklyn Nets needed to survive a midseason slump.
He can only provide it on a part-time basis, as his refusal to be vaccinated against the coronavirus means he cannot play in New York. So for now, Irving will enjoy every chance he gets on the road — while still hoping he'll be able to put on a show for his fans.
"I know what the results were, I still know what they are," Irving said Wednesday night. But right now, I'm going to take it one day at a time, like I said, and just enjoy this time. I get to play with my boys.
"While it looks later in the season, we'll address it then."
Irving scored 22 points in his first game of the season, helping the Nets rally to a 129–121 road win over the Indiana Pacers.
After missing out on the team's first 35 games because he refused vaccinations, Irving started and played 32 minutes at the start of his much-anticipated season.
"The game of basketball is happy to have him back," said teammate and close friend Kevin Durant.
Irving is unable to play at home due to New York City's vaccination mandate and was not welcome on the street. The Nets didn't want a part-time player, so he was sent away during the preseason.
Things changed. A recent COVID-19 outbreak severely shortened the Nets and they decided the superstar's half-time was a better option than signing fewer players to 10-day difficulty contracts.
Irving saw it as the right decision on Wednesday.
"It felt like he had been playing all season," said fellow All-Star guard James Harden.
The Nets lost three straight, all at home, and Irving can't do anything about the Nets' struggles in Brooklyn if he remains unvaccinated. The vaccine is mandatory for New York City athletes who play in public places.
But he can play road games in cities where there is no mandate, including all subsequent games, with the nets away for seven of the 11 games.
"As I said earlier in the season, it's not an ideal situation and I'm always praying that things work out and we can come to some collective agreement," said Irving, "whether it's with the league or just The things that are going on can help with the kind of ease that we are all dealing with COVID and the vaccine.
"I think everyone is feeling it and that's why I don't want to make it about just myself and just about anyone bucking the rules for me."
Irving's condition is rare in professional sports.
The NBA has said that 97% of its players are fully vaccinated - which would basically mean that no more than 15 players in the league are uneducated, possibly Irving among them. This is in line with other sports leagues; The NFL said in mid-December that about 95% of its players have been vaccinated, and the NHL claims a rate of 99%, with no more than four players vaccinated.
As of last month, the NBA said two-thirds of players had also been promoted, a figure that is likely to rise in recent weeks, given the persistent insistence of the league and the National Basketball Players Association. He points to the recent surge in virus-related issues as evidence that boosters are absolutely vital to keeping the league running.
"The boosters are highly effective," NBA commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN last month.
Non-vaccinated players in the NBA are subject to near-daily testing (with the exception of days without games, practice, or travel) and more stringent requirements, such as not being able to dine with teammates and additional social-distancing requirements. The rules of—even where to cover—their lockers may be in relation to their peers.
Irving's talent is undeniable. He averaged a career-best 26.9 points last season, becoming the ninth player in NBA history to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free throw line.
But there are still matters of chemistry and consistency that championship clubs crave, and the Nets will essentially be trying to set it up with two teams: one on the road with Irving and one at home without him.
Net banking is that Irving's close relationship with Durant, along with a roster of veterans like Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin, is what could normally be a bumpy transition.
Clippers assistant coach Brian Shaw said, "I think they have a mature enough group, a group experienced enough to understand the dynamics of the business of basketball, along with the rules that make up the situation." , "So, they'll make the most of it."
The Nets were counting on this when they reversed their decision last month and announced that Irving would join them in practice and road games. He has been criticized for doing so - as has been done for allowing Novak Djokovic to enter the Australian Open with a medical exemption, despite questions about whether he had been vaccinated, which was needed in order to win his title. be able to protect
The Nets couldn't win last season without Irving, losing to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals after spraining his ankle in Game 4. It is unclear whether they can win with Irving, who has a history of injuries and took a leave of absence. team last season for personal reasons.
He spent it collecting a portion of his $35 million salary to play, confiscating checks for games for which he made himself ineligible, but nets to pay for street games. has stopped them. He occasionally pops up as a spectator on his social media platforms or at Seton Hall games, but is not playing against an NBA competition.
When he returned he didn't have time to find work as expected, as he had gone through health and safety protocols on 18 December, the day his return was announced.
But in a team that is showing flaws, whatever Irving can deliver – whenever he can provide it – he must solve some problems.
"I miss his presence, the energy, the vibe around the team, around the locker room," Durant said. “And then on top of that, his game is so beautiful. Makes the game so much easier for everyone out there.”