Kyrie Irving has officially become the NBAās first part-time player. His decision not to take the COVID-19 vaccine to protest New York Cityās vaccine mandate makes him ineligible to play home games.
That has taken a big toll on the Brooklyn Netsā 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, Kyrieās decision has turned him into a bit of a pariah for some. And even though heās 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 Hasnāt Been Easy For Him
So, when asked about what itās been liked to be in the eye of the storm for most of the season, the former first-overall pick claimed that it hasnāt been easy. Even so, heās doing his best to shut down all the outside noise:
āThis hasnāt been easy for anybody,āIrving said, as quoted by Fadeaway World. āI think the more that you guys keep hammering in on this, and then also in public spaces, Iām noticing that people like to make jokes about whatās going on, in āhalf-gameā or āhalf-man,ā whatever it is. My family has to see some of that stuff; my teammates have to see some of that.ā
āAnd like I said, that outside noise creeps in at times, but it doesnāt impact me because Iām used to this,ā Irving added.āI donāt play these media games. I donāt 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 Iām doing is trying to be the best teammate, doing my job at a high level. I wish that circumstances were different. But obviously, itās impacting a lot of people, and I didnāt want this to happen. But it is the reality.ā
At the end of the day, heāll be a hero for some, and an irresponsible person for others. Weāre not here to judge his personal choices, regardless of our own views. But from a basketball standpoint, this is far from ideal.
