On the opening Sunday game, Kyrie Irving‘s absence was felt both inside and outside the Barclays Center.
Before the game hundreds of vaccine mandate dissenters showed up outside with one demand, “Let Kyrie Irving Play”. The demand follows an announcement by the Brooklyn Nets recently that Kyrie will not be allowed to participate either in practice or games. The NBA star has insisted that he is not anti-vaxxer and that his decision be respected and that he is uncomfortable being forced to be vaccinated.
“What would you do if you felt uncomfortable going into the season when you were promised that you would have an exemption or that you will not be forced to get the vaccine” he said on his instagram Live.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in answering questions about the stand off between the league and Kyrie said “I would tell him to get vaccinated…it is the law in New York”
In August New York City implemented guidelines around vaccines. Among them barring everyone over the age of 12 from being in venues including the Barclays Center without having proof of being vaccinated against the Covid-19. Even though he is barred from only Nets home games due to New York protocols, the Nets have announced Irving will not play until the situation is resolved.
“Stand with Kyrie” and “Let Kyrie play,” were some of the tag-lines seen and heard outside the Brooklyn Nets opener Sunday afternoon. It was only a matter of time before Brooklyn the crowd stormed past the barricades outside the arena forcing a temporary shut down of the evening’s proceedings.
Yahoo news and Newsday’s Barbara Barker reported that the group included supporters of President Donald Trump and people with Black Lives Matter signs.
The brief lockdown outside caused the The Barclays Center to released a short statement confirming the lockdown:
“Barclays Center briefly closed its doors today in order to clear protestors from the main doors on the plaza and ensure guests could safely enter the arena. Only ticketed guests were able to enter the building and the game proceeded according to schedule.”
Irving has become a central figure around which anti-vaccine mandate voices have rallied and has garnered the support from several conservative figureheads, including Senator U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr.
Current New York vaccine statutes require home players to be vaccinated to get on the court, which led to Irving missing the Nets’ media day and preseason games. The Nets found a loophole so he could practice, but the team eventually decided it didn’t want Irving playing if he was limited to only road games. It has also held off on any talks regarding a potential $186 million extension for the star point guard.
Kyrie has not responded directly to the on hold talks and has only given a single Instagram Live session in which he insisted he has no plans to retire according to Yahoo News.
He says he is the “voice for the voiceless,” and those voiceless people seem to have shown up for him on Sunday.
