Kyrie Irving is a tantalizing player on the basketball court, but recently, his words and actions have been too. The former Rookie of the Year, seven-time All-Star, and gold medalist who continues to deny vaccination for coronavirus will not be able to step foot on an NBA floor. 

The Brooklyn Nets recently announced that Irving will not practice nor play any games this year until he is vaccinated. The Nets will lose out on a lot of offensive production in doing so, resulting in an improved chance for the Knicks, my favorite team, to defeat Brooklyn as the Knicks have lacked the ability to in the past.

This is not the first time Irving has been in the center of controversy. The skepticism Irving has promoted and changing viewpoints of the vaccine itself cannot go unnoticed. I found it irrational he ventured onto Instagram live to break his silence, stating, “I know the consequences here and if it means that I’m judged and demonized for that, that’s just what it is.”

Irving plays for the Brooklyn Nets, whose location resides within the state of New York, which requires the coronavirus vaccine. New York City and San Francisco are the only two cities within the NBA that require the vaccine. Irving, the only unvaccinated player amongst New York teams, is inhibited from playing due to the state’s mandate.  

Just seven weeks in, Irving has eclipsed a majority of the NBA’s headlines. He has subsequently sparked spontaneous protests outside Brooklyn Nets’ stadium, the Barclays Center. His unclear and indistinct blurts of defending his vaccination choice have resulted in both himself and the National Basketball Association backpedaling in their fight against Coronavirus.

Not to mention, Irving is not only denouncing his employers, he’s also losing out on tens of millions of dollars. In this year’s 2021-2022 season, he will be losing up to $33M, around $402,000 per game.

As of Nov. 30th, nearly 97% of the entire league is vaccinated against coronavirus. However, Irving represents a stubborn part of the 3% of unvaccinated players. This minute group is still very significant in its contributions to the league’s recent controversy. The minority of unvaccinated players include some of basketball’s biggest names like Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving, Denver Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr., Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal, and Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac. 

These collective players are manufacturing a substantial volume of repercussions in and around the league, and it’s leading towards negative consequences in the future.

The discussion of vaccines in such a paramount time, such as professional sports during a pandemic, must be present in a sufficient number of conversations to keep people safe and squander any apparent conflict within the NBA.