“I sure hope the vaccine mandate ends in NYC” Magic Johnson keen to anyhow witness Kyrie Irving dazzle in the playoffs
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Magic Johnson and Kyrie Irving
During the beginning of the season, Kyrie Irving’s availability was the biggest factor to determine the Brooklyn Nets playoff eligibility. For the ones who do not know, Irving was banned from playing games this season after refusing to get vaccinated. The New York City State mandate required every player to be vaccinated in order to play for the team. For nearly four months, the player had not been permitted to even practice with his squad.
The State had finally lifted the rule during December as per requests of the team, allowing Kyrie Irving to participate in road games since other states did not require players to be vaccinated. Despite having the player back, many questioned his fitness and whether he would be able to play at a high level. On debut night, Irving scored 22 points shooting 100% from the line and 52.9% from three-point range.
“I’ve had a lot of debuts, but nothing comes close to this one. Because at this stage being out of the game for eight months and coming back in. There’s just too much uncertainty. How many minutes? What’s the flow of the game? How are my teammates gonna feel? You just don’t have any idea. I went just in with just an open mindset just to ground myself, be present, and do whatever it takes to win,” said Irving following his debut. Kyrie has played 19 games so far but only on the road.
Kyrie Irving records a career-high night against the Orlando Magic
Irving recorded a masterful 60 points in 34 minutes of playing time. He also recorded 4 assists, 4 steals along with one block, and 6 rebounds turning over the ball just once the entire game. He also shot a staggering 64.5% from the field making 20 of 31 attempts, 66.7% from three-point range sinking 8 on 12 attempts, and 92.3% from the line missing only one in 13 attempts.
The All-Star point guard had also erupted for 50 points against the Charlotte Hornets three games earlier shooting 15 on 19 attempts in field goals. The Nets had a rough period following the exit of James Harden leaving with an injured Kevin Durant. The team went on an 11 game losing streak and another 4 game losing streak before winning the last four matchups.
LA Lakers legend praises Kyrie Irving for his monstrous 60-point performance
Following his incredible game, many were simply left in awe of his smooth following game even after being out of the game for almost a year. It earned the respect of the greatest point guard of all time, Earvin Magic Johnson. The Laker legend took to Twitter saying, “Kyrie Irving put on a dazzling show against Orlando tonight scoring 60 points! I sure hope the vaccine mandate ends in NYC in time for the playoffs so we can watch him play in every playoff game. He is unreal!!!”
Many have criticized the State for its hypocrisy in allowing fans to enter arenas and players to play at the Barclays Center unvaccinated. Kevin Durant spoke out saying, “Early on in the season, people didn’t understand what was going on but now, it just looks stupid. Eric, you gotta figure this out.” Mayor Eric Adams has planned on making “changes” to the mandate but his decision will only be given on Friday, March 18. Until then Kyrie will remain available just for games on the road.
Also read: Kyrie Irving gets 100% honest on New York’s COVID-19 vaccine rules, attending home games
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Rakibul John Rodgers
(1258 Articles Published)