Kyrie Irving cleared to play in home games

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will be able to play in home games. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving, other unvaccinated athletes in NYC cleared to play in home games

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 3/23/22

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to lift the city's private-sector vaccine mandate, which will allow unvaccinated athletes such as Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving to participate in home games.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams will level the playing field for in-town athletes and performers to match the rule that allows unvaccinated individuals to perform in NYC, sources familiar with the situation tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Now, NYC local athletes will have the same guidelines. https://t.co/Hsj5SRBclM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 23, 2022

The news broke roughly an hour after ESPN's Jeff Passan and Adrian Wojnarowski release a joint report saying Adams "has been working with health officials on a plan" but that "no final decision has been made."

Irving, 30, has not played any home games at Barclays Center this season because he is unvaccinated, and he was even kept away from the rest of the team during practices because of his vaccination status. He was revealed at the start of the NBA season to agree with multiple coronavirus conspiracy theories. Shortly after being allowed to practice with the team in December, the Nets dealt with a massive COVID-19 breakout at a time when multiple teams were affected by outbreaks of the omicron variant.

The change in the vaccine mandate also affects players for the New York Mets and Yankees, who will be able to participate in home games starting on Opening Day, April 7. The Yankees, who reportedly have two unvaccinated players on their roster, could have faced trouble if the mandate wasn't lifted between not being allowed to play those players at home and not being able to have them travel across the border to play the Blue Jays in Toronto.

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