The Brooklyn Nets owner Tsai wants Kyrie Irving to "get vaccinated as soon as possible," but he insists the star will need to be vaccinated to play for the team as long as New York City has a mandate.
"I don't know," Tsai told ESPN when asked when Irving would play again. "If the authorization in New York is still valid, he must be vaccinated to come back." Don't ask me when they might or may not change the mandate in New York. Again, if you ask those who are making decisions at the city level, they say we're going to rely on science, on what the health department tells us. ”
Tsai said it was the team's decision not to participate in the tournament until he complied with COVID-19 rules in New York, adding that he had not spoken to Irving since the decision to cooperate on Oct. 12.
"Obviously, Kairi has his own beliefs, so I respect that. But we have to make team decisions. It's not about his decision," said Cai, who co-owns the team with his wife. "It was a decision about where we went as a team. And our team has a player in and out, no home games, only away games, which is untenable for us. So what do you do in practice? ”
Due to a new York City rule that requires proof of vaccination to enter the indoor arena, Irving is currently not eligible for the 2021-22 Brooklyn home game. New York officials, however, see the HSS training center in Brooklyn as a "private facility." Despite such moves, Brooklyn general manager Sean Max said the team would not let Irving play "until he qualifies to be a full player" on Oct. 14. ”
League president Adam Silver expressed disappointment on opening night that Irving was not at the team but reiterated he should be vaccinated.
"I know it's not just Carey, there are people in this country who disagree with the idea of getting vaccinated," Silver said. "But, at least from what I know, science is firmly on the side of vaccination, which is essentially a scientific vaccine."
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley urged Irving to consider in the same TNT pre-game show that those around him might be influenced by his decision.
"First of all, you don't vaccinate yourself. You vaccinate other people... I think everyone should be vaccinated," Buckley said. "I'm really proud of the Nets because they put it down and said we're not going to give up halfway. The only thing that bothers me is that he'll still sit at home and make $17 million. ”
Meanwhile, a crowd of protesters gathered outside the Barclays Center last week before the home opener, chanting "There is no vaccine regulation." Stand with Carey. Regarding the protests, Tsai, who advocates vaccinations, told ESPN, "They are hijacking this issue, but it is dangerous because we have a life-or-death situation." The truth is that if you are not vaccinated and if you have COVID-19, you are much more likely to develop a very, very serious illness and end up in the ICU and possibly die. That is the consequence. ”
After news of his non-eligibility broke, Owen explained on an Instagram live stream that he would continue to be healthy until he regained his eligibility.
"No one is going to hijack my voice. No one is going to take away my right to talk about these things," Owen said. "Don't believe I'm going to retire. Don't believe me would give up this game for the sake of vaccine licensing or remaining unvaccinated. Don't believe any of those, man. Before I get a chance to take the podium and speak for myself, pay attention to what people say. ”