Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets star, will be allowed to play at the Barclays Center on Sunday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
According to ESPN, New York mayor Eric Adams worked with health officials to alter the polarizing mandate, allowing unvaccinated Yankees and Mets players to play home games by next month's Opening Day.
Irving hasn't played in a home game this season due to his decision to remain unvaccinated, but he has attended a few games in Barclays after the mandate was lifted, including the matinee match against the Knicks earlier this month, where the Nets were fined $50,000 for "violating New York City law and league health and safety protocols" by allowing Kyrie to go into the locker room.
As a result of his maskless presence, the private sector vaccine mandate has been discussed. Kevin Durant, Irving's frustrated teammate, criticized the "ridiculous" mandate in his post-game comments. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t understand it at all,” Durant said, per The Hill. “It just feels like, at this point now, someone is trying to make a statement or point to flex their authority.”
Durant's remarks prompted an impassioned response from ESPN's Mike Wilbon, who called out the Nets star for pointing the finger at the wrong person.