The Nets will allow Kyrie Irving, whom they barred from the team until he received a Covid-19 vaccination, to rejoin the team part time, the Nets said in a statement on Friday, despite Irving’s still being unvaccinated and cases skyrocketing in New York City.
The announcement was a surprising about-face for a franchise that had said in no uncertain terms that it was not open to Irving’s working part time. As a result of a New York City edict from the summer mandating that employees and patrons of indoor dining, gyms and other similar establishments be vaccinated, Irving is still barred from playing home games at Barclays Center without a valid medical or religious exemption.