NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Asks To Reevaluate Vaccine Mandate Keeping Unvaccinated Kyrie Irving Sidelined

Topline

National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver questioned a New York City Covid-19 vaccine requirement Wednesday that bars Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing in home games but allows unvaccinated visiting players to play, indicating the league hopes to get one of its biggest stars back to the court permanently before the postseason begins in April.

Key Facts

Silver said the mandate that bars unvaccinated New York City residents from using indoor gyms, including the Nets’ Barclays Center, “doesn’t quite make sense” during a Wednesday morning appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, calling it an “oddity” that it only applied to home players.

Citing loosening Covid-19 restrictions such as New York state’s decision to lift its indoor mask mandate last week, Silver called on New York City to “take a look” at the rule and said he “could see” New York City Mayor Eric Adams deciding to change the ordinance.

Silver did not mention Irving by name, but he is the only unvaccinated player on the city’s two NBA teams, the Nets and New York Knicks, and his continued absence would greatly impact the Nets’ championship aspirations ahead of the playoffs beginning April 16.

Crucial Quote

Silver explained: “While, again, my personal view is people should get vaccinated and boosted, I can imagine a scenario where Brooklyn, as part of New York City, with a new mayor now who wasn’t in place, Eric Adams, when that original ordinance was put into place, I could see him deciding to change along the way and say it’s no longer necessary to have a mandatory vaccination requirement, as I said, particularly one that only affects home players.”

Key Background

Last August, then New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an executive order mandating all indoor fitness patrons and workers must show proof of receiving at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine with a notable exception: nonresident professional athletes. Irving, a seven-time All-Star, hasn’t played in any Nets home games this season as he remains unvaccinated against Covid-19. The Nets kept Irving away from the team for the first two months of the season despite his eligibility for road games, but he later returned to the team, playing in Nets road games he’s eligible for since January. Adams said he planned to revisit the city’s vaccine mandates shortly after winning the election in November, but has not made any changes to the requirements since taking office last month.

Big Number

97%-98%. That’s the proportion of NBA players who are vaccinated against Covid-19, Silver said Wednesday, adding a “vast majority” of whom received a booster dose.

Further Reading

NBA commissioner Adam Silver: NYC COVID-19 vaccination rule keeping Kyrie Irving from playing at home ‘doesn’t quite make sense’ (ESPN)

Adam Silver questions NYC’s vaccine mandate for NBA: ‘Oddity to me is that it only applies to home players’ (The Athletic)

13 Of The 50 Highest-Paid Athletes Wouldn’t Say If They Were Vaccinated In 2021 (Forbes)