Kyrie Irving has officially become the NBA's first part-time player. His decision not to take the COVID-19 vaccine to protest New York City's vaccine mandate makes him ineligible to play home games.
That has taken a big toll on the Brooklyn Nets' chances to compete at the highest level this season. Moreover, having him in and out of the lineup has done little to help their chemistry issues.
Needless to say, Kyrie's decision has turned him into a bit of a pariah for some. And even though he's still gotten plenty of support from a group of people, he still feels ostracized and pointed at.
Nets News: Kyrie Irving Says Being A Part-Time Player Hasn't Been Easy For Him
So, when asked about what it's been liked to be in the eye of the storm for most of the season, the former first-overall pick claimed that it hasn't been easy. Even so, he's doing his best to shut down all the outside noise:
"This hasn’t been easy for anybody," Irving said, as quoted by Fadeaway World. "I think the more that you guys keep hammering in on this, and then also in public spaces, I’m noticing that people like to make jokes about what’s going on, in ‘half-game’ or ‘half-man,’ whatever it is. My family has to see some of that stuff; my teammates have to see some of that."
"And like I said, that outside noise creeps in at times, but it doesn’t impact me because I’m used to this," Irving added. "I don’t play these media games. I don’t do this. This is part of my job, but this is not what I signed up for in order to be going back and forth, answering questions about my personal emotions. All I’m doing is trying to be the best teammate, doing my job at a high level. I wish that circumstances were different. But obviously, it’s impacting a lot of people, and I didn’t want this to happen. But it is the reality."
At the end of the day, he'll be a hero for some, and an irresponsible person for others. We're not here to judge his personal choices, regardless of our own views. But from a basketball standpoint, this is far from ideal.
