Brooklyn Nets forward Kyrie Irving has not been able to play in any of the team's home games this season because of NYC's vaccine mandate, which requires people to have at least one vaccine shot before entering an indoor gym.
In spite of that, Kyrie returned to Barclays Center on Sunday for the Nets' game against the New York Knicks just one day after attending the ACC Tournament final between Duke and Virginia Tech, which was played at the Brooklyn arena.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter Sunday morning, writing, “Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving is expected to sit courtside to support teammates at Nets-Knicks on Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center. Irving is able to attend the game as a spectator, move freely, maskless … but cannot play due to private sector mandate.”
Obviously, Kyrie's decision caused a stir on NBA Twitter, as fans took to the platform on Sunday to question why he's allowed to sit courtside and can't play in home games, while others still questioned his refusal to get vaccinated.
See some of the Twitter reactions to Kyrie’s courtside appearance.