Report: NYC Mayor Expected to Lift COVID-19 Mandate Impacting Kyrie Irving, More

The private-sector vaccine mandate for performers and athletes will be reversed by the New York City mayor on Thursday, according to Sally Goldenberg.

That would allow unvaccinated players like Irving to play in Brooklyn in time for the NBA playoffs.

It would allow unvaccinated players on the New York Yankees and Mets to play home games when the MLB season begins in April.

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania

Kyrie Irving is eligible to make his home debut at Barclays Center on Sunday vs. the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. New NYC exemption for in-town athletes and performers will be effective immediately beginning Thursday.

New York City has a private-sector vaccine mandate that makes it impossible for New York-based athletes and performers to work if they are unvaccinated. Visiting players are not required to be vaccine free, and the mandate requiring fans to be vaccine free ended on March 7.

Irving was a fan at the Nets game.

Adams was called out by Kevin Durant.

Nets Videos @SNYNets

Kevin Durant on Kyrie Irving not being able to play at home:

"We're all confused. Pretty much everybody in the world is confused at this point. Early on in the season, people didn't understand what was going on but now, it just looks stupid. Eric, you gotta figure this out." pic.twitter.com/t8aBEBEZEA

Adams said that Irving could always get the vaccine.

Yahoo Sports @YahooSports

"Kyrie can play tomorrow. Get vaccinated."NYC Mayor Eric Adams responded to a heckler asking why Kyrie Irving still can't play at the Barclays Center.

(via @Jesseperel10)pic.twitter.com/Y2VrKa5J9r

New York City's former COVID-19 senior adviser and former CDC employee Jay Varma criticized the reported repeal of the mandate for athletes and performers.

The same rules on vaccination should apply to everyone, he said.

Brooklyn brought Irving back for road games only after he was away from the team entirely.

The Nets have gone 8-11 in the 19 games Irving has been eligible to play this season, though a number of those games came when KD was injured. Brooklyn went just 3-9 when Irving was available.