Kyrie Irving has made big headlines for several months but not because of his work on the floor. His refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccine has kept him on the sidelines for a long time as the Brooklyn Nets were reluctant to have him available only for road games.
Irving, who made his anti-vaxx stance abundantly clear, has been unable to play home affairs this season due to New York City's vaccine mandate for all residents who work in indoor venues. At the beginning, the Nets wanted Kyrie to get the jab and be eligible for all matches.
It took some time, but the Nets have ultimately changed their mind and accepted his return for road games. However, it seems that there is also a way for Irving to play home games while being unvaccinated.
This is how Kyrie Irving could play home games for the Nets without being vaccinated
After all, Irving could actually play home games if the Nets are willing to face the consequences - which in this case, they consist on paying fines every time he plays at Barclays Center.
As reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Bill de Blasio's executive order mentions these penalties for noncompliance: "First offense: Warning. Second offense: $1,000 fine. Third offense: $2,000 fine. Fourth offense: $5,000 fine. Fifth offense to infinity offenses: $5,000 fine."
With 21 home games remaining this season, the Nets could spend nearly $100,000 in fines if Kyrie Irving plays in all those matches unvaccinated. However, the organization has opted to comply with the New York City's order so far and it remains to be seen if they'll change that stance.
