It looks like Kyrie Irving will soon be allowed to play in Nets home games
New York City is reportedly altering its Covid-19 vaccine requirements for athletes and entertainers — just in time for the NBA playoffs.
It was reported on Thursday afternoon that Mayor Eric Adams would be revising vaccine protocols for the private sector that previously meant unvaccinated athletes on New York City teams — most notably Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets — were not permitted to play at their home arenas and stadiums.
The changes were expected to be put into effect as soon as Thursday, according to separate reports by Sally Goldenberg of Politico, and Jeff Passan and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, and Adams was reported to be planning to make the announcement at Citi Field, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The new policy would also cover any Mets and Yankees players who were not vaccinated for the upcoming season, which is slated to begin on April 7.
Bronx Bombers sluggers Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo were rumored to be unvaccinated, though both declined to answer questions about their statuses when asked at the outset of training camp earlier this month.
But arguably the biggest beneficiaries of the revision are the Nets and Irving, with the NBA playoffs set to begin in mid-April, and Brooklyn fighting for position in the Eastern Conference standings.
Irving has missed all of his team’s home games to date this season owing to his vaccination status. The Nets’ next home game at Barclays Center was scheduled for Sunday, vs. the Charlotte Hornets.