Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving went on Instagram Live on Wednesday night to explain why he’s not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at this time.
“It’s reality that, you know, in order to be in New York City, in order to be on a team, I have to be vaccinated,” Irving said, via CBS Sports. “I chose to be unvaccinated, and that was my choice. And I would ask y’all just to respect that choice, and I am gonna just continue to stay in shape, be ready to play, be ready to rock out with my teammates, and just be part of this whole thing.”
Irving has received a lot of criticism over the past few weeks because of his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. On the other hand, he has also received some support from his colleagues and fans.
One of Irving’s supporters happens to be J.R. Smith, who posted the following message for Irving on Twitter: “Extremely proud of you bro!”
Extremely proud of you bro! @KyrieIrving pic.twitter.com/42PRQFOHyq
— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) October 14, 2021
Smith spent a few seasons with Irving in Cleveland, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him being supportive of the All-Star point guard’s decision.
Several players have already stated that Irving has the right to not get vaccinated. The Nets, meanwhile, have the right to tell Irving he must stay away from the team until he’s eligible to be a full participant.
This isn’t the last time we’ll hear about Irving’s situation, that’s for sure.
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