Reinforcements Have Arrived Just in Time for the Brooklyn Nets

Will Lehr, Chief FInancial Officer

Earlier this week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams made a shocking announcement amending the city’s private vaccine mandate for unvaccinated performers, and now athletes. This means that Nets shooting guard Kyrie Irving will finally be back at the Barclays Center in the nick of time for the Nets who are currently fighting for a playoff spot.
Irving, who recently turned thirty, has not played a home game in Brooklyn since June 7th. Fans will welcome his arrival on Sunday when the Nets play against the Charlotte Hornets, a crucial game as the Hornets are only 1 game behind the Nets in the Eastern Conference.

The Mayor made his announcement at Citi Field, where the Mets play. He stated, “We were treating our performers differently because they lived and played for home teams. It’s not acceptable.” Many people take this statement very lightly, especially since the Mayor has been critical of Kyrie for some time. Protests have even erupted in front of Barclays Center with fans chanting “free Kyrie.”

Other players for the city’s baseball teams such as Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and first baseman Anthony Rizzo will now also be cleared to play at home, as they are also unvaccinated.

This policy has met harsh criticism from both sides. Some say that these players should just be vaccinated, and others say that the policy is not about safety or science, but about politics. NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated that the mandate, “doesn’t quite make any sense” because unvaccinated players can come and play in the same games. Additionally, unvaccinated individuals could enter the stadium, but not play in the games.

Either way, there is renewed hope for the Nets and their chances of winning the NBA finals. As of now, they will most likely play in the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Toronto Raptors, where Kyrie would not be able to play due to Canada’s rules. If they win, they will play the second seed in the conference. If they lose, they will play the winner of the 9th and 10th seed in the East to advance against the first seed.

No matter the outcome, it is widely known that no team, even the first seed Miami Heat, would want to face the Nets with their powerful duo of Durant and Irving, who are both averaging close to 30 points a game each.