Kyrie Irving made his home debut in a defeat to the Hornet following the New York Mayor lifting the ban on unvaccinated players in the city
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving made his home debut in a 119-110 defeat to the Charlotte Hornet on Sunday night.
Irving was able to represent his team once against after the Mayor of New York lifted the vaccine mandate in the city.
Irving believed that his presence on the ground represented something huge as he says he had to prepare for lots of warm reception from the fans.
“I was just trying to ground myself as much as possible today,” Irving said. “And just prepare for the warm reception from a lot of supporters of the organization, of me, just the journey thus far. So I don’t take it for granted what happened tonight; it was historic. I’m grateful I got a chance to be out there with my brothers and just leave it all out there.”
Irving, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, had not been able to play at Barclays Center all season because of New York City’s private employer mandate. Mayor Eric Adams rolled back that mandate last week for athletes and performers, allowing Irving to play his first home game.
The 30-year-old former All-Star got a big ovation from the sold-out crowd — the largest in the facility’s history at 18,166 — after being introduced in the starting lineup. Just before tipoff, he walked to center court and pointed around the arena to acknowledge the reception he got from the Brooklyn fans.
“Tonight, my presence out there was just bigger than the basketball game,” Irving said. “I was just representing a lot of individuals that are out there in a similar situation as me. And now that I can play, I think we should be opened up for everybody.”
Irving struggled to find a rhythm all night, finishing just 6-for-22 from the field in almost 41 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 16 points and 11 assists but was just 1-for-9 from beyond the arc.
“It was great to see him out there,” Nets star Kevin Durant said. “Good to see the fans excited for him. Unfortunately, we took the L, though. But we move forward knowing that we have him here. Build on what we have and try to get a win next game.”
After being asked how he wanted his stance against taking the vaccine to be remembered, Irving spoke passionately for over two minutes about how he felt he was standing up for more people than just himself.
“I made it very clear it was never just about me,” Irving said. “I think for my own legacy, that’s to be written by all those that I impact and all those that impact me, and it’s far bigger than just a basketball game. But when I’m in this locker room, I get a chance to perform with a bunch of guys that are selfless and are sacrificing just as much as I am. It makes it worthwhile. …
“The point of this season for me was never to just take a stand. It was really to make sure that I’m standing on what I believe in, in freedom. Freedom. I don’t think that’s a word that gets defined enough in our society. About the freedom to make choices with your life without someone telling you what the f— to do.”
