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The new NBA regular season, the 75th anniversary of the NBA, begins next week. Modified COVID protocols such as players and coaches sitting side-by-side on the bench will gain insight into pre-pandemic days. But one of those seats, for now, won’t be occupied by Brooklyn Nets goalie Kyrie Irving.
“Given the evolving nature of the situation, and after much deliberation, we have decided that Kyrie Irving will not play or train with the team until he is eligible to be a separate participant. entire, â€Brooklyn CEO Sean Marks said in a statement Tuesday morning. .
Irving was briefed on Tuesday of the Nets’ decision made by Marks and team owner Joe Tsai. “This decision came from what we thought was the right decision for the organization at the moment.” Their message to Irving is to get the vaccine! The Nets made the ruling despite the fact that their practice facility was recently deemed an office building by the New York City government. The city government has demanded that all people seeking entry into New York City sporting venues, such as the Barclays Center, be vaccinated.
The NBA recently announced in a deal with the National Basketball Players Association that players would lose part of their salary for each game missed due to local vaccination warrants.
“It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and stay true to our long-established values ​​of unity and sacrifice,†said Marks. “Kyrie made a personal choice, and we respect her individual right to choose.”
Marks added the important point that “currently, choice restricts her ability to be a full time member of the team, and we will not allow any member of our team to participate with part time availability.”
Even though Irving, the NBPA league vice-president, has the right to choose, and the Nets recognize that right, not being vaccinated will put his $ 34.9 million salary for this season at risk.
The Nets, who play their last preseason game tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves Barclays Center, open their regular-season schedule with two road games against defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday followed by the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
For reference, it was the Bucks who beat Brooklyn in seven games last season, winning the Eastern Conference Championship and winning the NBA Finals due to Durant’s tiptoe on the line, limiting his buzzer shot to two and not three, sending the game into overtime instead of the Nets in the NBA championship.
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