Kyrie Irving Returns to Brooklyn Nets as Part-Time Player; Sent to NBA Health & Safety Protocols

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving proved that compliance to tyrants never wins.

Before the NBA season, Irving was suspended by the Nets for failing to comply with New York City’s COVID-19 jab mandate.

Since he refused the experimental COVID-19 injection, Irving can’t participate in home games or contests at the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors.

The Nets organization decided they didn’t want a part-time player on the roster and gave Irving the boot until he got the COVID-19 jab.

But a slew of injuries and COVID-19 cases has made the Nets reconsider their decision.

The franchise announced Irving’s return to the roster as a part-time player for select road games.

With injuries, COVID cases and an inordinate minutes load on their superstar players, the Nets are bringing back Kyrie Irving as a part-time player for games outside of New York, sources told @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/An5vAhrnK6

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 17, 2021

Apparently, so many vaccinated players are out with covid that the Nets have caved and will allow unvaccinate Kyrie Irving to rejoin the team.https://t.co/OLVg7JmW21

— PLC (@Humble_Analysis) December 18, 2021

"Everybody was on board with the decision that's being made"

Sean Marks says there was unanimous approval from the Nets' players for bringing Kyrie Irving back as a part-time player: pic.twitter.com/HtWyWE6eMe

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) December 18, 2021

ESPN story on Kyrie Irving’s imminent return to the Brooklyn Nets as a part-time player: https://t.co/clnvpnsMT6

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 17, 2021

Per ESPN:

The Brooklyn Nets are bringing back All-Star guard Kyrie Irving as a part-time player for games outside of New York and Toronto, the team announced Friday.

Irving, who has been unwilling to satisfy New York City mandates and become vaccinated to play in home games or road games at Madison Square Garden, will be eligible to play in select road games once he is able to pass a series of COVID-19 tests and get back into shape, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The unfolding circumstances of Brooklyn’s season — injuries, seven players including James Harden lost to health and safety protocols and an inordinate minutes load on Kevin Durant, who won’t play Saturday against the Orlando Magic due to right ankle soreness — led the team to the move.

“We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols,” general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “We believe that the addition of Kyrie will not only make us a better team but allow us to more optimally balance the physical demand on the entire roster.

“We look forward to Kyrie’s return to the lineup, as well as getting our entire roster back together on the court.”

The point guard’s return isn’t expected to happen quickly. Irving has to test negative on five successive days before he can rejoin the Nets. Once he returns, he must test every day as an unvaccinated player.

Irving went straight into the NBA’s health and safety protocols since the league still wants to abuse players with their ridiculous COVID-19 policies.

Kyrie Irving has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Irving needs five consecutive days of negative tests to join the team at practice and is the ninth Nets player to be added to the list this week. pic.twitter.com/8r4RBKR5Xp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 18, 2021

Kyrie Irving has entered health and safety protocols. pic.twitter.com/5QYzjXYeha

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 18, 2021

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are latest Nets players to enter NBA’s coronavirus protocols https://t.co/ncTpCme4ab

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 18, 2021

Def Pen perfectly illustrates the NBA’s insane COVID-19 protocols:

The Brooklyn Nets will be short handed for the foreseeable future. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have reportedly entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. In total, the Nets have lost nine players due to health and safety protocols. Still, the league is pushing for teams to sign more players in order to avoid canceling games.

“In an effort to hopefully avoid game disruptions, the NBA and NBPA are discussing a plan that would require teams decimated by COVID to sign additional replacement players,” Baxter Holmes of ESPN tweeted on Friday.

“On an NBA Board of Governors call Friday, there was an overwhelming sentiment among NBA owners to do whatever is necessary to avoid postponements and cancellations this season,” Adam Wojnarowski added.