Appearing on Instagram Live on Wednesday night (video link), Nets guard Kyrie Irving publicly confirmed for the first time that he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19.
Due to a New York City mandate that requires individuals to have received at least one vaccine shot in order to enter public indoor venues, Irving is ineligible to play in over half of Brooklyn’s games this season. The Nets announced this week that Irving won’t be permitted to play or practice with the team – even on the road – until he can be a full-time participant.
Repeating many of the same points that were conveyed through sources by Shams Charania of The Athletic on Tuesday, Irving claimed on Wednesday that his decision is “not about being anti-vax,” adding that he’s “being true to what feels good for me” and understands the ramifications of remaining unvaccinated, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN details.
“I am going to just continue to stay in shape, be ready to play, be ready to rock out with my teammates and just be part of this whole thing,” Irving said, though he gave no indication that he plans to receive the vaccine. “This is not a political thing; this is not about the NBA, not about any organization. This is about my life and what I am choosing to do.”
The death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 700,000 in the United States and 4.5 million worldwide, while many others are still dealing with long-term health effects from the virus. Data has shown that the vaccines reduce the risk of infection and drastically lessen the likelihood of an affected individual being hospitalized or dying. NBPA executive director Michele Roberts has stated that about 96% of the NBA’s players are vaccinated.
Irving said on Wednesday he was under the belief entering the fall that he’d be able to receive an exemption that would make him eligible to play in New York this season. It’s unclear whether or not he applied for a medical or religious exemption. Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins attempted to get a religious exemption in the hopes of circumventing a similar mandate in San Francisco, but his request was denied by the NBA and the city stated it wouldn’t have approved such an exemption anyway. Wiggins subsequently agreed to get vaccinated.
Irving, on the other hand, appears to be digging in his heels, telling viewers on his Instagram Live that he’s prepared to face the financial consequences of his decision.
The NBA has indicated that players who are ineligible to play in games due to local vaccine mandates will lose 1/91.6th of their salary for each game they miss. While the NBPA has pushed back against the league’s interpretation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the expectation is that Irving’s stance will cost him $381K per game over the course of 43 games (41 in Brooklyn, plus two at Madison Square Garden), for a total of nearly $16.4MM in lost base salary, plus more in incentives that he’ll be unable to achieve.
Though it remains unclear if we’ll see Irving at all on the court this season, he stressed on Wednesday that he has no intention of walking away from basketball altogether.
“No, I am not retiring. And no, I am not going and leaving this game like this,” Irving said. “There is still so much more work to do.”
Nets general manager Sean Marks previously expressed interest in signing Irving to a contract extension this offseason, but multiple reports have suggested those discussions are no longer taking place, for obvious reasons.
It is hard to empathize with Irving, but at least he’s not bending the knee because of money. You’ve got to respect that.
I have to respect someone who is refusing to get vaccinated? No, I absolutely do not.
Feel better?
I just think it would be even worse if he did it just to avoid losing some money, à la Wiggins (or à la Simmons).
If one decides to act in the interest of their financial well being, why does that matter to you or anyone else? Why is it good or bad, better or worse?
I don’t care if someone got vaccinated because the science is clear or they got a free donut or did it to keep their job. I don’t have faith in enough of humanity to do the right thing so whatever works. I’m a Nets fan who is really disappointed but we’ll move on.
He’s doing it because he’s nuts and he truly believes he’s right. At least he’s sticking to that.
Wiggins, on the other hand, is dumb and/or nuts, but bails for the money at the last second after creating unnecessary drama for himself and the organization.
Dislike both, but dislike Wiggins more in this particular instance. He did not get the vaccine for the sake of society or his team, in all likelihood.
Of course, generally speaking I dislike Kyrie 5x more than Wiggins for a host of reasons.
He is not giving up money. He is GETTING half his salary while doing nothing. I have no respect for him.
So if you decided to sit out for half the year from your job for personal reasons yet you still get paid what the language of a legal agreement you and your employer signed, should others then not have respect for you?
It is not a personal reason, it is a stupid reason from a fool who is dumb enough to believe in a conspiracy rather than science and common sense.
Is there harm in simply disagreeing with the man? Why the personal attacks?
Enough with the “He’s entitled to his opinion nonsense”. He’s entitled to it and I am free to criticize a fool who rejects clear science and believes in wild conspiracy theories.
If that’s considered a personal attack on Kyrie, that’s fine with me. He should know better, seeing as he has an entire organization trying to help him see the obvious light.
First off, I would not do that, because I have integrity, so whether anyone had respect for me is immaterial. But for the sake of argument, no…others should not have respect for me. I know I wouldn’t have respect for myself in that situation.
Next, if most people sit out for half the year from their job, that job would not be there in the second half of the year. I realize that Irving is talented, but he is not irreplaceable. If Irving never played another NBA game in his life, the Nets would not fold. There would just be another player that would get his roster spot.
@Otogar
Ummm, sure he’s losing salary for about 43 NYC games but he’s getting NOT TO PLAY for the other 39. I, like many others in the live entertainment industry, had our business decimated over the last 2 years. Savings waded thru. Assets cashed out. Side hustles created to stay afloat. We would be so lucky to get nearly half of our income paid while we sit at home. Kyries my favorite player to watch. I’m sure he’s a good person. It’s his body, his voice and I respect that. But he’s no martyr. Donate the other half of the salary you’re going to be paid to those who’ve lost their jobs and income due to covid fam. otherwise, you’re sitting back enjoying the luxury of being an nba player whose team decided to give you a paid vacation where as regular folk have to struggle with a more dire “get vaccinated or become homeless ” decision. No hate just how I feel.
Bingo. Well said.
I’m sorry to hear your business was a casualty of the pandemic. I hope things are looking up for you or at least beginning to.
On the situation with Kyrie, his ability to collect a paycheck while not fulfilling his full responsibility to his employer is a privilege and “luxury” that he has earned. The rules for him do not apply to the common American no matter how unfair or unfortunate one may view it.
Is it not harder to empathize with someone than dump on them?
What would NBA do if this guy contracts covid19.? I know is is a waste of my time dealing with this guy!
Adding to your summation, ESPN was reporting that even though Irving would not be permitted to play by the Nets in any game this season if he remains unvaccinated, that the team would still pay him for the away games that he is not suiting up for. As you point out, it’s a $16.4MM decision.
I’m not personally sure what he is attempting to accomplish if he says the decision is not politically motivated, yet is also saying he is doing this because he believes in personal freedom and not having to be mandated to be vaccinated. So is the whole thing about creating awareness? (In which case, I’d argue … we are all aware by now, as we have all been aware that the earth is not flat. No shade being thrown there … but it’s clear he marches to the beat of his own drummer, and perhaps appealing to his logic is not the most effective route to getting him vaccinated.)
He’s a ding dong.
Is he?
Yes. He thinks the earth is flat. He’s a grade A moron.
That easy huh? Label a human being and move on.
How many grades of “moron” are on your scale and what are your terms for measuring an individual properly for their “given” degree?
If you think the earth is flat and spread that false information around, among plenty of other dumb things Kyrie does, then yes. It’s that easy. Not sure why this is so hard to comprehend. Paint me as judgmental if you like, I’m sure it makes you feel better.
If you’ve read any comments I’ve posted on this thread, I have neither defended nor attacked anything Kyrie Irving has done or said. That is not the reason I am asking questions.
I would appreciate it though if you would explain to me how your judging another human being and personally attacking them would make me feel better? And better than what?
ya he knows he will still get paid for those 39 other games plus playoffs. what a sacrifice. what a joke
You don’t see any personal sacrifice in what he’s doing?
if he doesn’t take any money I will respect his decision. that is a personal sacrifice he would be making.
So you’re saying that personal sacrifice in this situation only has to do with money and if he were to forfeit what is legally obligated to him then he would earn your respect?
Do you consider it possible that behind the scenes he may be suffering personally because this decision of his may have ostracized him from friends, coworkers and family members?
And on your premise of money as the sole measurement and regardless of the scale of his salary and earning potential compared to the average American, would you consider that forfeiting half your salary is a considerable sacrifice?
he has said it isn’t about the vax and it’s not about the money. so give it up. maybe help his teammates and team so they can allocate that money elsewhere. they say all the right things to the press but you can’t say KD and JH aren’t pissed. and yes I do believe this guy has personal issues. basketball is the least important thing he needs to worry about. get that help but be helpful to your team. If the average American lost 50% of their pay they would have to get another job
No matter how unfair one might see it, Kyrie has much more financial freedom than the average American.
But let us not forget in what areas he has lost social freedoms. This article and our taking time out of our lives; taking attention away from others whom we care about and may be sitting in the room with us to discuss the goings on of a virtual stranger is a grand example.
That was too real. I’m out.
It sure isn’t personal sacrifice to get paid for nothing. If he want to sacrifice, then why doesn’t he DONATE that money to a charity or some kind of fund devoted to proving the sun revolves around the Earth or something.
I can’t see how any owner would accept paying a guy 17 million a year to play zero games, when to do so costs an extra 35 mil a year in luxury and repeater tax on top. If they keep him at the cost of 50+ million a year and he provides them literally nothing, the Nets are bigger ding dongs than he is. It’s more than a million a week in the toilet.
Because both sides signed a contract and because the team doesn’t want to open itself to a grievance filed by the NBPA
@Ballain
I believe the Nets wanted to avoid possible challenges from Players Association. At the end of the day he can still play in the road games so they can’t really dock him if they choose not to play him.
According to the NBA the team will pay the tax on his full salary even if he is not paid it. No discounts for missed games since his salary is the full amount and the money they get back is technically fines.
This is not the first time he doesn’t believe in science. He’s claimed the world is flat as well.
Really? This is this first time I’ve heard that.
A truly pathetic individual.
How so?
Only 74 games in the last two seasons. The science denial stuff. The Kyrie vs. Coaches problems. There is a lot NOT to like.
But, he is an amazingly talented shooter. The only 50/40/90 shooter in the Association during 2020-21. And his handles are 2nd to none. 29-yrs-old this season. Could be a special year if he would just get vaccinated.
Did you write this response to back up the original statement of Kyrie being a “pathetic individual”?
If so, would Irving cease to be a “pathetic individual” in your mind if he “corrected” the behavior you described in the first half of your post?
@WHhogotdaprops = Kyrie lurker account
So you seen overly invested in defending this stance are you an anti-vax squad member too?
For disclosure: 2 shots of Pfizer no booster yet.
My sole investment in this story is to understand why people need to dump on someone who is making a decision they don’t agree with.
Projection? Jealousy? Cognitive Dissonance?
Just hunches but it’s a phenomena so widespread across our culture that it disheartens me at times.
It’s everyone’s personal decision to dump on him, but you seem like you can’t handle that. Why not?
Is it projection? Jealousy? Cognitive dissonance?
Why can’t you accept the personal decisions of everyone who is ripping a guy for refusing to do his part to stop the spread of a worldwide pandemic? You’re getting on everyone for judging Kyrie and yet here you are accusing everyone of projection, jealousy, and cognitive dissonance. Hypocritical and judgemental if you ask me.
I understand ones “right” to attack another person. I’m not sure of the why.
My hunches were mere examples of wanting to find a deeper reason for the why I just mentioned; hoping to understand and connect with others through contemporary language. We have all been guilty of those three psychological/ emotional phenomena and I know it’s not as simple as psychological or emotional disturbances.
The issue I am attempting to understand is why the need to personally attack another human being because of their beliefs or choices? Why can one not just simply say “I don’t agree with the choice or belief that another person has”? That at least opens up the path for discussion. Personal attacks shut down any attempt at a mutual understanding.
Because an anti-science stance on the issue of vaccination does is not a dignified stance. It’s a selfish stance. And we need everyone to care about each other, and WND this pandemic. If we say it’s ok to be stupid, then we push back the end of the pandemic restrictions even further.
And Kyrie needs to come correct and stop being so selfish.
I’m probably going to get crucified. But IMO it’s his choice. The vaccine is a choice not law. If he feels he doesn’t want it, that’s on him. If you’re vaccinated (as I am) you shouldn’t push people who don’t want it to get it. I understand he’s putting HIMSELF at risk. But not the other players or fans. He wants to risk it for his own beliefs let him. Studies show the vaccine doesn’t reduce the spread, it’s simply reduces the effects and the chances of catching it. I understand the situation but if he really wants to play, he’ll cave and get it done. The more people kick off the more he’ll dig his heels out of spite, that’s how he is. Again this is my opinion. I could be wrong, but I don’t like people kicking off because someone doesn’t want it, right or wrong it’s their choice.
then he should reject his pay for away games and playoffs. if it means so much take no money. how did duke take this flat earther?
Because he is probably one of the best 1on1 point guards the league has seen? As a person I’m not keen on him but I have eyes. but I do agree, it’s his job and he should forfeit pay if he isn’t playing, but I doubt his contract has a “COVID clause”. So he has no obligation to surrender salary. He’s playing a waiting game. Either he or the rules will budge soon.
@gymnasium… Why shouldn’t he be paid, he is willing to play, is BRK that refuses to play him, smarten up dude!!!
Anyway BRK is owned by a rich dude that can afford to pay him all that money to not play, if he wasn’t able to pay they would trade or cut him, paying all the money he has already earned for this year & the next, right?
Actually, it does reduce your chances of spreading it. So, he is putting others at risk including his fully vaccinated teammate with a heart condition. The vaccine is not a cure but it gives you a much better chance of avoiding serious illness.
According to the media, in the UK the reports change daily. NHS claimed it reduces chance of spread then back tracked and then advised it simply lowers chance of infection. As did WHO. If I am wrong I’ll hold my hands up. But going based on reports, it’s too contradicting. If it did, all reports would be in agreement.
Whether or not vaccinated people are less contagious (most of what I’ve read suggests they are), reducing the risk of infection reduces spread by definition — you’re less likely to spread it if you’re less likely to catch it in the first place.
Absolutely agree, there’s no argument on that, if he gets the jab he’s less likely to catch and puts the league at less of a risk. My point is that it’s his choice. If you have a belief and you think it’s right, so be it. Who are we to judge. Just dock his pay for not playing and see what happens. If he truly believes so strongly, he’ll take the hit. If not he’ll get the jabs and all will be as it should. I’m only against people jumping on people’s backs for their choices.
But I do agree he is thinking internally. But again it’s not a law, if he wants to risk it’s up to him and the team to discuss. Like what happens with Wiggins. There are still a lot more players than him in the same boat, but he’s the most high profile.
Not a Kyrie fan, but I support his right to choose. Though I chose to be vaccinated, I fully support him in this.
Choices do have consequences though. No play, no pay.
If you contract the virus then pass it on anyone you infect is also affected by your stupid dicision so no it is not only about him. Also the way vaccine work you need a % buy in or they dont. We are gunning for vaccine resistant strains right now.
Personal choice is out the window when it applies to public safety. You can drink. You can drive. You cant do both. Once you endanger others you no longer get unlimited personal freedom!
You realize that even if you’re vaccinated you’re not 100% safe? You can still spread it and be spread to so its not a full proof plan
Of course, it’s not a 100% guarantee and it is still possible to catch it and spread it, but the odds are significantly lower for both. Plus your chances of getting severely ill to the point of hospitalization or death are reduced to almost zero. However, even if you are fully vaccinated, if you have a serious underlying condition, that could still leave you at risk, especially if you are around someone who is unvaccinated who is carrying it. One of Kyrie’s teammates has a heart condition that led him to briefly retire last year before getting medically cleared. Kyrie’s stance could put him at risk unnecessarily.
There’s nothing wrong with waiting to see how this all plays out.
He can afford to.
Making judgements on someone you don’t know based on a curated news feed amidst a climate of antagonism and shady politics isn’t wise.
Let him make his own choices and deal with the consequences.
“Wait to see how it all plays out” – you mean his decision or the pandemic? Cause I think we have enough data points on his past decision-making and on the pandemic – these are not rushed judgments people are making.
he walked out on the team multiple times last season “just because”… now he’s “choosing” to sit out the season because of batcrap conspiracies in his own head…. let me know how many times he has to show you who he is before we can all judge him for it.
Why does what he chooses to do bother you so much? Why does he need to be judged by us?
@Luke – don’t forget the one game at Golden State, too.
He’d be able to play in that game, as a visiting player. The municipal mandates generally don’t apply to out-of-town performers. The only reason he wouldn’t be able to play the two games at MSG is because he’s considering a New York City worker.
Tip of the hat to Kyrie Irving for “living his beliefs”!
In the last 12 months he’s walked out on his team what… 4 times… now this? How anyone could defend him at this point boggles my mind… insanely selfish human being
As selfish as someone making judgements on a man that he knows nothing of?
Why are you defending someone who would step on you without any remorse? Kyrie doesn’t care about you or anyone else in this world, besides his own ego. Kyrie said “You think I really want to give up on my dream to go after a championship?” Well, clearly you just did by being selfish after literally helping build the team around you to win a title.
Athlete worship, pure and simple. It’s sad to see, whether it’s athletes, celebrities, anyone of “importance”.
And I say this as someone who generally agrees with not rushing to judgment on people and situations we would know little about. But when it comes to Kyrie, we know more than enough to form an opinion about him. Way more than enough.
Exactly. Kyrie has proven many times he doesn’t care about anything else but himself. I have no sympathy for him and his continued “excuses”
If we know “nothing” about Kyrie, how do we know that he thinks the world is flat, thinks that the vaccine is part of some satanical conspiracy against the black population, bailed on his team last season during the height of the pandemic in order to attend an unmasked birthday party for his sister, and has created drama and controversy pretty much everywhere he’s been? Yes, I’m sure it’s all some vendetta plot to get Kyrie. So weird how they only target him and not Curry or Doncic or all of the other top players in the game.
We don’t know a lot about Kyrie, but what we already know is pretty damning. Of course, you’re free to spin all of those facts however you see fit.
At this point it’s just Kyrie being Kyrie. There will be another issue once the Covid issue is over.
I don’t think they extend him and he only has himself to blame for that. Someone will pay him tho. He just won’t get as much/as long of a deal.
According to Shams Charania, the Nets are unlikely to offer him a contract extension
While he is paying a hefty price (which should be donated to organizations that are trying to get more people vaccinated), his “freedom of choice” lasts as long as his money does.
What will get us out of the pandemic is vaccine mandates and vaccine travel cards that allow people to go to jobs, movies, restaurants and sporting events. The people who are unvaccinated should be the ones who are limited in what they can do not the other way around. As George Costanza once said:
“WE ARE LIVING IN A SOCIETY!”
Look it’s Kyrie’s choice and he can do what he wants. If he makes the choice then he doesn’t play or get paid for home games that’s all there is to it. I don’t have to respect his decision or him for the “sacrifice”. I’m sure Kyrie has many avenues to make up for the lost income.
He shouldn’t play while being unvaccinated nor should he practice or travel with the team. He poses a risk to anyone who has extended contact with him from other players to coaches to staff and to fans.If you get vaccinated you are far less likely to catch the disease that’s why they’re called break through cases. That in itself would make you less likely to spread it. Second if you do get a breakthrough case you are less likely to be symptomatic therefore while you may or may not have the same viral load you’re less likely to be coughing and sneezing thereby you’d be less likely to spread the virus.
What I’m reading here is that vaccinated or not you can still get Rona, so with that, why get a shot in my arm if it won’t fully work? Not that any of this matters to me bc I’m living life normally but I like talking with others and getting their thoughts
It’s never, ever, ever been painted as 100% effective, so the basis for your complaint is weird. It *drastically* decreases your chances of getting COVID and increases your chances of avoiding serious health problems if you do get COVID.
The vaccine works as intended with almost no side effects reported out of the hundreds of millions of people who have received it over the last nine months. Choose not to get vaccinated if you want, but if you’re not getting vaccinated because you think you’ve been lied to about it being 100% effective in preventing you from getting COVID, keep in mind that you haven’t been.
I’ll answer your question with a couple more questions. Why would you wear a condom if it’s not a foolproof method to prevent pregnancy or STI’s? Why would you wear a seatbelt if it doesn’t fully protect you from death or dismemberment in automobile accident?
Good questions, first answer.. I don’t have to worry about that till Feb when I get married, even then I won’t worry bc if we have kids we have kids… secondly I wear belts bc I don’t want to pay tickets lol. Otherwise i wouldn’t be worrying about it
#LetKyriePlay
#No
a darn better reason to not play than most of his other ones, and at least in this case its someone forcing him to an extent. if you’re angry at him still making money then blame the PA for that.
I dont care either way, but it really is amazing how self absorbed this dude is. He really thinks he is like Muhammad Ali or Ghandi or someone of that ilk, creating these principles that nobody else is thinking like, and pretending he is being some type of martyr for a cause, while not explaining those causes, and expecting everyone to just magically know what they are, while smelling his own farts about it…again, that’s fine, but I’m at the point where I’m pretty sure this guy doesnt even like basketball, and it’s hard to believe his teammates have no problems with what he has been doing these last couple of years. I could see them being ok with him, outside of basketball, but as a teammate? Inside those guys have to be really annoyed at the constant drama, as if there isnt enough dumb bs in the world, they have to constantly be dealing with something from Kyrie Irving. His choice…whatever, but man..
And I’m sure the way social media is, has probably has a bunch of people actually telling him he is some sort of hero that will go down in history books next to those names I mentioned earlier, and b/c he is so full of himself, he believes it.
Honestly, you could argue it does help the Nets defense, although they dont have the type of defensive guard depth they had behind them last year…they do at least have other defenders they can use in the rotation spot though
I would rather players get paid than owners pocket money, but if you’re on that team, and this guy is going to make close to $20 million to sit out the season, you would think they would be extremely frustrated, knowing they’re putting their body on the line. Why not take that salary, and spread it to end of bench guys, if you’re so worried about principles, or better yet, take the money you should be making, and donate to individuals who lose their jobs, or people in need, all over New York. Those are things Kyrie could actually do and make real differences for people, but obviously there is no way anything like that would ever happen. I have to give him credit though. He found a way over these last few years to just pick and choose when he is going to do things, and still get paid exorbitant amounts of money. Maybe he really is the smartest guy in the room
I think part of the reason people are drawn to conspiracy theories is because they want to feel like they’re smarter and better than everyone else and part of the “in” club. Others, of course, are just crazy, ignorant, uneducated, or have to have definitive answers to questions which usually have difficult or undesireable answers.
In Kyrie’s case, I think it’s mostly the former. He’s all ego but tries to pass it off as being unique and mysterious.
When it comes to Kyrie, only one thing is for sure: he’s great for driving HR traffic.
@SheaGoodbye… you wrong, again… the only thing for sure about Kyrie is that he is a HoFer when it comes to hoops, which is all I care when I read hoops news!
Dear Lawd, he’s unvaxxed!?!? The temerity — he stands alone in this foolishness (along with millions of his kinfolk and a good third of American adults)!!! It’s good he’s kept away, I’m curious how many NBA players will get seriously sick or die directly from another unvaxxed NBA player this year?
Can’t he be both anti mandate and vaccinated? They aren’t mutually exclusive. I’m sure a lot of people, including Donald Trump for example, are vaccinated and anti mandate. It seems like he might be masking his anti vaccine stance with an anti mandate stance. But who knows.
First time commenter here, longtime reader of various rumors sites (and my name is not James). This is going to be a long dissertation, and it may be my lone comment, not certain that anything I have to say will mean anything to anyone.
I once watched many hours of basketball and other sports not all that long ago, but I don’t do so anymore; I guess I look at the scores and the rumors out of old habit. None of it seems all that important to me anymore.
I used to watch a lot of Cavs basketball, and I have plenty of knowledge of Kyrie Irving from that time. Everyone here knows his strengths (ballhandling/shooting range/finishing in the paint sans dunking) and weaknesses as a player (facilitating as a point guard and defense in general). Kyrie is a phenomenal talent in terms of his strengths, but I definitely didn’t have the highest opinion of him (to say the least) when he let it be known he wanted out of Cleveland prior to ’17-’18, knowing that the Cavs would never get anything close to equal value in terms of talent. One got the inkling that he had the “superstar”/too big for “flyover country” mentality even prior to the trade (postgame interviews and what not), and the trade just cemented that for me.
I am giving that as background to say that one can change their mind about someone, and maybe someone else is not the person that they are made out to be by the media. Kyrie may not be a perfect human being, but neither am I, and neither are you. I spent a great deal of time that I might have once spent watching sports looking into information on this virus and the various vaccines. I’m not a scientist or an expert, but there are countless experts in science and the medical field who are putting everything they have on the line to offer an alternative to the prevailing narrative that you see everywhere in the mainstream media. There are lawyers who are putting everything on the line to bring lawsuits related to this subject matter.
They are subject to censorship at the very least, and some undoubtedly receive all manner of threats; there is zero for them to gain beyond what they stand for as truth from going down this road, and, as I have said several times, they could lose everything. Does this make me a conspiracy theorist to listen to these points of view? Am I a despicable human being if I don’t trust Anthony Fauci or the other mainstream experts? I will accept those labels if that is the case, and please don’t bring up politics, as Trump pushed “Warp Speed” for the vaccines, and Biden has just continued with that narrative. Nothing that I believe in as the truth is going to move the meter in a noticeable way at this point, anyway.
I don’t seek out alternative information out of the need to be the “smartest person in the room.” I wish everyone on this site the best of health, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone else; I have no desire to belittle anyone else. I wish everyone had the level of skepticism that I have for a great number of things, but this type of mentality certainly doesn’t make you welcome in “polite company,” or amongst friends and family. My own experiences show me that my mentality makes one a pariah, and there’s absolutely nothing beneficial to looking into dissenting opinions other than providing some peace of mind that there is a great deal of validity in the choices you make for yourself in terms of your principles and beliefs. That is not being selfish unless believing in liberty and free will are selfish things, and we no longer live in the United States of America if that is the case. I have chosen not to get the jab, and if that means I am a threat to the “common good,” I wish people would quit beating around the bush and be honest and say that the world would be better off without people like me; again, for the “common good.” This is not some kind of attitude of bravado as I refuse to go out in some blaze of glory; that goes against my beliefs, and I will go peacefully, even if that is not my desired fate. Someone else is going to have to live with it if it comes to that, although it will be said that people like me were just selfish and stopping progress in herd immunity. I’m getting tired of feeling like a pariah, and if this is what life is going to be like long-term, it’s not much of a life, and I’m not going to go against my principles as that is all I have when it comes down to it.
I wish that instead of being angry at Kyrie for getting paid for not playing in 39 road games away from New York, maybe you ought to focus that anger on media personalities on every conceivable television network/social media platforms who are getting paid a fortune to withhold quite a bit of information from you, or, to paraphrase the title of a book recommended by Bill Gates, lie with statistics. I have a link up right now next to this page, and it is to a story about a woman (an immigrant from Africa) who had to have most of three limbs (and parts of her other hand) amputated due to complications following the second dose of Pfizer (Congress has made sure that you can’t sue big pharma over these vaccines), and maybe someone like Kyrie Irving has donated to help with the $500k it will take for her to have some semblance of a life again; you don’t know if he hasn’t done that for others in similar situations because not everyone wants to make charitable things public. I wouldn’t tell anyone if I donated to a cause such as that since it’s about helping someone else, not your own recognition. I would definitely provide the link to that page if anyone wanted to see it, although I’m sure there would be skeptics. I know I would hate to be in that woman’s situation.
You can call me whatever you would like to here, but the science on this matter isn’t set in stone, and neither is the safety of the vaccines. I wish all of you could have had all of the information that I have looked at over this past year or so before you came to a decision regarding one of these jabs, but I know from experience that few people wanted to listen anything like that. I told them out of concern for them, not to be a “trendsetter,” but they got the jabs anyway; I don’t want attention, I just want to help people. It’s up to you whether or not you want to get the jab; it’s not my decision, but you don’t have the right to coerce me, Kyrie, Bradley Beal, Jonathan Issac, or anyone else into compliance. I’m not doing this to be a stick in the mud, it is what I believe in terms of my conscience, and what is a conscience worth if it can be bought with (fill-in-the-blank)? There’s nothing worth having that can “buy” my conscience, and perhaps these men and many others have done their own due diligence and arrived at their own conclusions. I guess if you want the government to go full tyrannical technocracy on us and mandate these jabs, something is going to have to be done with people like me, and that is going to be on the conscience of those who pushed this kind of madness. My conscience is clear in terms of this virus/vaccine as I don’t think I have put anyone at risk. I live with a loved one who has undergone one regiment of chemotherapy for cancer (and has recently started another) during this whole pandemic, and in spite of a compromised immune system and no jab, this loved one has not contracted COVID from me or anyone else. I wouldn’t do anything to put somewhat that close to me at risk, and, for that reason, I ask you not to say I’m being selfish as my decision has put them at risk first and foremost before anyone else if my logic is just a “tinfoil hat conspiracy theory.” I am more concerned about the chemotherapy doing long-term damage than I am my loved one contracting the COVID, but feel free to call me crazy if that is your choice. It will not be the first or last time.
Thank you for your time…I’m respectful of your choices, and I don’t believe I am putting you at risk; I don’t think Kyrie Irving is putting you at risk, either. I ask you to be respectful of the choices others make in regards to this situation, even if it angers you. Again, I wish the best of health for all of you, and I am grateful if you have read this comment from beginning to end.
My apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors in my previous message as I was wiped out by the time I had finished writing it…again, all the best to all of you, regardless of your position.
Ignoring everything else, you dont think Kyrie Irving, in general, comes off as someone constantly pushing this “higher than you” narrative, where you’re supposed to guess what his “principles” are, while he acts as though it’s all obvious, and correlates certain issues with whether or not he plays basketball games, whether or not they have any connection at all to each other whatsoever?
I understand your point of view on the whole, if Kyrie had not done x, y and z prior to this situation, he wouldn’t have his reputation; you read what I said about his departure from the Cavs. I do think the media thrives on taking things like Kyrie’s behavior and blowing it out of proportion, as it makes for a great story, not to mention a great distraction. “Kyrie is bonkers, this proves everything we have said about the virus and the jab is absolutely correct and infallible in its logic.”
That said, those who say that the policies taken by the federal government and many businesses in relation to the virus were the only viable options, and that the vaccines are the only answer to everything…they haven’t heard from/refuse to listen to every knowledgeable voice in the room (the science and the safety are not set in stone, and anyone who says this is so is not being forthright). I am going to give Kyrie the benefit of the doubt regardless of his past eccentricities and say that he has entirely legitimate concerns in regards to these jabs. None of us know what kind of research he has done into the virus and the vaccines, and if we think that the only viable information available is what comes from the CDC or the WHO…if that is the case, then sanity has been the worst casualty from this whole situation, and I don’t know how easy it will be to ever recover that.
People should be mindful of history and realize that the “these people who will not conform need to be forced to do so” line of thinking once led to things like the Inquisition, not to mention countless senseless wars. I don’t think that we’re civilized to the point where we can’t go down that dark road again; it’s not hard to see that the threads that hold our civilization together wear perilously thin.
I havent heard those questions from Kyrie, although I’m not spending much time looking for it, and dont do social media, so maybe he has explained that, but that’s not what his narrative seems to be, and it coincides with other things involving him over the last couple of years. I personally hate the media for many reasons, and also cant stand the fake 2 party system/”conventional” government, but I also dont view that as an issue in regards to Kyrie Irving. So I’m not addressing the over sensationalized comments. Personally, I do think people can do what they want, as long as it’s not potentially harmful to others, and this scenario is debatable, but I can also say that it’s perfectly within the rights of businesses to decide who they want working for them or being customers, and if they feel comfortable with certain people potentially being an issue for others, and I can see why a city would determine that certain people shouldnt be allowed to participate in certain things during a global pandemic, if it potentially helps reduce any sort of risk to others/allows for a slowing of necessary resources having to be used up. In reality, it’s still a choice. You can choose to follow the mandate or not. There are consequences based on that choice. For Kyrie Irving, the consequences are far less than anyone else, but he wants people to act like he is some sort of martyr. I dont care either way, but I am growing tired of the way any of these social media type stories are effecting the 1 thing I have in my life, which is sports, and Kyrie Irving is 1 of the biggest perpetrators of that issue. Either play or dont play. I will personally mostly stay out of the whole pretend he is some sort of principled person narrative
This has been a good discussion on the whole, as it has been polite and reasonable. I thank you for keeping it civil. I agree with you on social media/the media/the way our country’s political system has degenerated to this point. Kyrie can withstand the consequences of his decision far better than I can for making the same decision, but I will say that I wouldn’t want to be in the eye of the storm as he is now. He’s going to end up with many more people against him than are with him, and there’s no certainty that he will ever be able to recover the life he once had prior to the “new normal” as these mandates (which are not laws passed by the legislature) may be imposed in various cities across the NBA (life never stays the same, if we have learned anything from these times). Kyrie and other unvaccinated players may not be able to sign another contract beyond the expiration of their current ones, and if that is the case and they continue to stand firm on their position, that’s real. You can throw all of this out the window if he or the others eventually capitulate due to the lack of present/future options, but that remains to be seen down the road.
I would suggest looking up Klaus Schwab and his book, “COVID-19: The Great Reset,” on Amazon. Klaus is the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum (not some fringe group), and he lays out how *he* believes the world must change as a result of COVID-19; this is not an elected official in any country, mind you, but to say that he has no clout in the affairs of the world would be a naive statement. “History shows that epidemics have been the great resetter of countries’ economy and social fabric” -from the book. This book was released in July of last year, and many people will go to the “unhinged conspiracy theorist” card, but if you make a statement of that nature, it tends to lend credence to the notion that you would need an epidemic/pandemic to get this great reset that is your ultimate goal. I will let that stand on its own without implying anything, and anyone who reads this comment can make up their own mind.
Kary Mullis invented the PCR test that is commonly used to test for COVID-19 today; he won the Nobel Prize in ’93 for his invention. Mullis died at the age of 74 in August of ’19, mere months before COVID-19 began a part of everyday life. He is viewed as a pariah today by the consensus of establishment minds in science, but, again, is the majority always correct in every situation? There is no doubt that he would tell anyone who would listen to him if he were alive today that PCR produces a great number of false positives if it is not used properly. This may be why a great number of completely healthy people who show no signs of any symptoms test positive for COVID-19, but I guess Kary Mullis is persona non grata now, and people like Fauci (Mullis was very critical of him) are beyond reproach. George H.W. Bush (41st President) referred to Fauci as an example of a “hero” during a presidential debate with Michael Dukakis leading up to the ’88 election, and that may or may not say a lot about how certain people keep their positions for close to 40 years across numerous presidential administrations. I think many things that Bush 41 (not to mention Bush 43) said are open to skepticism. Again, I will leave that to fellow readers to make up their own minds.
Kyrie ain’t a dummy, that’s the real problem. He’s actually intelligent enough to understand and believe the horsecrap that he holds close to him.
Is he selfish, yep.
Is he aware of what’s happening, yep.
Is he fully convinced of his opinions being correct,yep.
Is he a good enough person to get thru his own beliefs and do something for the better of others,no.
Should we judge him as being a moron stupid or a dummy.? No way
We do however have the ability and this is gained through knowledge to know he’s a selfish naive conspiracy theorist, and we can judge him for that.
That’s our earned right.
We earned it by putting up with his BS over the last couple years while still respecting that he’s a baller.
And he is… But he’s not a gd person.
Maybe
Maybe Kyrie can collect unemployment to recoup the home game money
In this day and age, anyone who claims that the earth is flat, should be treated as nuts.
Kyrie should just quit basketball and start his own religion – he’ll be revered among his crazy-kind and he’s bound to make up whatever millions he lost.