Play.
The consequences of not being vaccinations were not prepared by Kyrie.
Irving was able to return to the Nets' lineup after he refused to get vaccinations. (1:03)
The Nets decided to have Irving stay away from practice because of New York City's vaccine mandate, but he said he understood why.
Irving told beat writers at the Nets practice facility in Brooklyn that he understood their decision and respected it. I had to think about what they were going to do and not get emotionally attached to it. I had to see it from their perspective and evaluate it.
I empathised with their decision to say that if you are not fully vaccine free, then you can't be a full participant.
Steve Nash said that Irving will need to ramp up for a week to two weeks before he can return in a road game.
Irving said that he had missed a lot of time. It felt like it had been a long time since I was around the guys. It has been three months or so. It has felt like the days have been crossed off the calendar while I am at home. I couldn't sleep when I thought about returning to practice.
Irving hasn't been with the team on a regular basis since practicing with the team for a week in San Diego in early October. With New York City mandating that players get vaccinations in order to play at the Nets' home arena, the Nets decided against having Irving be with the team for road games and practices as well.
Irving said that he knew the consequences of not being vaccinations. I wasn't prepared for them. I had thought about being a full-time teammate and just having fun and providing a great brand of basketball, but I decided against it. It didn't happen like that. Things happen for a reason. I am just grateful that we are here.
Brooklyn had three games postponed last week because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Nets brought back the point guard for road games.
Irving went into health and safety protocols a day after the decision. The three players were cleared from health and safety protocols on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Irving said that he was grateful to be back in the building. I was welcomed back with open arms. It has been difficult to watch from the sideline with everything going on in the world. Everybody is feeling it. I'm praying for everyone to be healthy. If I get the chance to play with my teammates on the court, even if it's just on the road, I'm grateful.
It was difficult for Irving to ignore all the talk surrounding him and the Nets while he was away.
Irving said that he was waiting for when he could return. A lot of what-if's. There are a lot of scenarios. It's hard not to pay attention to what's being said about the situation we're in. I was trying to stay connected with the team and wait for the chance when things settled down.
I don't know if it's the right phrase to use with everyone testing positive and what's going on around the NBA.
Nash said that Irving was part of a group that got conditioning in and played.
Nash told reporters that he looks great because he hasn't played basketball. How does he recover? How many high-intensity practices does he need?
Nash said that the landscape of Irving is still shifting. I couldn't give you an answer, but I can tell you that he looked great in the flesh today, considering everything that's happened in the last few weeks."
Irving said that being on the floor with his team was like riding a bike again after working out in college and middle school.
"I've never seen someone else be as good as Kyrie," Bembry said. He looks good for most of the time. He didn't look tired as he got up and down the floor. He looked good. Shoot some 3s, get to the rack, and be the same person as before.
Irving might not make his season debut until later in the year. The Nets play Philadelphia on Thursday. The Nets have a road game at Indiana on January 5, which will be Irving's first chance to play. The Nets are not on the road until January. The Nets start a four-game road swing on January 17 at Cleveland.
Irving will not be able to play against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden or at Toronto unless he is shot. I can't sugarcoat it.
... I am looking forward to the first game and hopefully I can get back in shape and be productive after that.
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Irving said that there was a lot more left in the tank. It is only going to last for a certain amount of time, because we are at a certain level of mastery in this game. The iron is hot.
