It’s official.
Kyrie Irving has won the stand-off between him and the Brooklyn Nets, who at the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season told the All-Star guard that he essentially wasn’t welcome as a member of the team unless he could be a full participant.
With a number of players in the league’s COVID-19 protocols, the team has changed its mind about his vaccination status, and made a statement about their decision to bring him back.
“After discussions with our coaches, players and staff, the organization has decided to have Kyrie Irving re-join the team for games and practices in which he is eligible to participate,” Brooklyn’s statement read.
“We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols. We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster. We look forward to Kyrie’s return to the lineup, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that Nets owner Joe Tsai, general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash were fully on-board to bring him back. You’d imagine Nets stars Kevin Durant and James Harden had much influence, though.
Irving technically could have been practicing with the team in Brooklyn and playing in most road games from the get-go. However, the Nets front office made it clear that he was only welcome as a vaccinated, full-time player and Irving hasn’t played to this point.
Full circle?
