ESPN reports:
Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the Brooklyn Nets until he is eligible to become a full participant under local COVID-19 vaccination requirements, general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday.
“Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability.”
New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate requires a person to have proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot to enter indoor gyms — including Barclays Center, the home of the Nets, and Madison Square Garden, the home of the Knicks.
From Yahoo Sports last month:
First things first, there aren’t any microchips in any of the COVID-19 vaccines. This absurd theory has been debunked countless times already, and just doesn’t make sense. This, however, hasn’t stopped that theory from spreading throughout NBA locker rooms.
According to Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving — who has a past filled with conspiracy theories — has reportedly been liking social media posts regarding “secret societies” that are “implanting vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for ‘a plan of Satan.’”
This false theory has spread to several different locker rooms and group chats, more than a dozen current players, executives and others said.
NEW: Kyrie Irving will not play until vaccination status is resolved, Brooklyn Nets say. https://t.co/CkpSzkqGF7
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 12, 2021
Kyrie Irving’s vaccination hesitancy would feel a whole lot different if his previous scientific questions didn’t include *checks notes* wondering if the Earth was flat
— Jeremy Schneider (@J_Schneider) October 12, 2021
Kyrie Irving is anti-vax and thinks the earth is flat.
In other words, a future Republican politician.
— Brian O’Sullivan (@osullivanauthor) October 12, 2021
I thought Kyrie Irving’s flat earth stuff was a bit, but it turns out he’s just a moron.
— Jean-Michel Connard (@torriangray) October 12, 2021
With all of #KyrieIrving new free time he can go explore this beautiful flat earth of ours.
— Prentice Penny (@The_A_Prentice) October 12, 2021