Play.
The reporter asked about the vaccine status.
The basketball player says he won't be swayed by what fans want and will stay unvaccinated. (1:45)
9:05 PM
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving made it clear Monday that his stance regarding the COVID-19 vaccine will not change in the wake of Kevin Durant's knee injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks.
Irving is unvaccinated and therefore ineligible to play at home because of a local requirement that all professional athletes in New York City be vaccine free. The Nets initially decided not to include Irving on their roster because of the COVID-19 outbreak, but reversed course last month after the roster was decimated.
Irving said that he stood by his decision and no injury or circumstance would change it.
"That's what I think comes into a lot of this culture and basketball and sport and entertainment,'' Irving said following Brooklyn's 114-107 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. You bring in teams and situations. We're going to have to deal with that as his teammates, because Kev is going to heal, and he's going to be OK. In terms of where I am with my life outside of this, I stay with my decision. That's what it is.
It's not going to be swayed by one thing. It's brought to my attention that it's more important than what's happening in the real world. It's not happening for me. Again, I respect everyone else's decision, I'm not going to ever try to convince anyone of anything, I'm just standing behind what I believe in. I know that I'm protected by the organization, my teammates, and the doctors that I've talked to, and that's why we're dealing with this right now. I stand still.
Irving scored 27 points. Since the Nets acquired James Harden, they have been dealing with injuries and other distraction, and he was just his fourth game back.
Irving said during his postgame interview that he's bothered that his decision is being questioned and that it's almost always framed in the context of his profession.
He said at one point that he was not bringing science into a basketball game and that he respected what everyone else was doing.
Irving was told that millions of people are interested in his status because of the ramifications on his playing time.
"That's what I'm saying," Irving said. I live my life the majority of the time when I'm away from this. When I say I'm not getting vaccinations and I'm making a choice with my life, it gets mixed into, 'Well, what about the basketball?' When it's like no. We live in the real world. It's great to be able to do this. I'm thankful for the opportunity. I enjoy being with my teammates. I've already been away for a while, so I'm able to make this decision, understand that people are going to disagree, and I'm going to stand strong.
I'm praying that the circumstances are changed so that we can do things differently, that's not just for me, that's for all those that are dealing with being unvaccinated and getting fired from work on a day-to-day basis. It's not just about me. That's been my message all along. Sometimes it feels a little disrespectful to ask that question, even though I feel your emotion for it. I'm more than just a basketball player. There are millions of fans. It's not just about the game.
Irving was told that he's one of the most famous unvaccinated people in the country, but he said that he's not the only one.
Irving said that fame is socially created. I hear what you're saying. What does it mean to be the most famous unvaccinated player? I don't know what that means at home.
There is a lot of interest in Irving's status and the Nets fan base is frustrated that he can't play in home games.
Irving said he respected that. "I respect that."
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
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