Kyrie Irving caught a lot of heat during the 2021-22 NBA season after he was forced to miss a majority of the Brooklyn Nets' games due to the New York vaccine mandate.
The rules put in place by Dr. Jay Varma stated: "Under the Key to NYC Program, proof of vaccination is required for indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment and certain meeting spaces. Individuals 12 and older must show proof that they have received two vaccine doses, except for those who have received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine."
The mandate not only affected Irving and his team, but many New Yorkers who did not feel comfortable getting vaccinated also suffered. Dr. Varma seems to take pride in being responsible for Irving's inability to perform his job. While attending a dinner, the former NYC COVID policy architect was recorded saying, "This is a fun part of my life."
"There was a basketball player named Kyrie Irving. He refused to get vaccinated, but because he played for the team in Brooklyn because of the vaccine mandates I passed, he was not allowed to play," said Varma.
Varma is very proud of the part he played in Irving's vaccine controversy and joked about a story the Wall Street Journal wrote about him being the one who blocked Irving from playing. It seems to be his 15 minutes of fame that, now several years later, he is still talking about.
"I just think he's asinine. He's an ass," said Varma. "I am not in a position to tell him how to dribble better or how to shoot better… Don't tell me how the science works."
The decision has impacted the way some fans view the eight-time NBA All-Star and is something that will always be attached to his legacy.
"I was not expecting a mandate to be brought down in a way that wasn't going to allow me to play at all," said Irving on Kevin Durant's podcast The Etcs.
The Nets were one of the favorites to win a championship that year, and the drama derailed their chances of making the NBA Finals. They ended up with a 44-38 record and were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
"There was no plan in place, there was no vision of how it's going to work for our team, and I think that impacted not just me but a lot of people—just had to sit in that hot seat for a little bit and deal with it. Life of a martyr," said Irving.
The now Dallas Mavericks' guard did end up returning before the end of the season, but after sitting out for so long, the team was never able to build chemistry properly before heading into the postseason.
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