Nets' Kyrie Irving praises NYC mayor Eric Adams: 'I'm just grateful that he’s on my side'

It’s been 271 days since Kyrie Irving has played in a game at Barclays Center for the Nets due to the city’s vaccine mandate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. And despite New York City mayor and big Nets fan Eric Adams’ best wishes, Irving will have to wait a little longer before he is eligible to play in a home game.

After the Nets’ 126-120 loss to the Celtics on Sunday, Irving, who has drawn a lot of attention to himself this season for choosing to be unvaccinated, praised Adams after the mayor made comments earlier in the week about unvaccinated visiting players being allowed to play in New York while Irving is not.

“Man shout out Eric Adams, man,” Irving said. “It’s not an easy job to be the mayor of New York City and with COVID looming, vaccination mandates, everything going on in our world with this war, Ukraine and everybody feeling it across America, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes right now trying to delegate whether or not one basketball player can come and play at home. I appreciate his comments and his stance.”

On Monday, Adams said he wants Irving back on the court, but that it would “send the wrong message” to make an exception for the star guard.

Adams went on to say that “it makes no sense” that unvaccinated visiting players can play in New York games but that Irving cannot — echoing a similar sentiment made by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last month.

“I don’t know who thought of putting such a ridiculous rule in place of away teams can come and play with our teams from New York. But these are the rules and I have to follow them,” Adams said.

Irving seemed hopeful that this unfortunate situation can all be put in the past in the near future and sympathized with people across the world who have had a difficult time during the last few years.

“I know one day we’ll be able to break bread together and (Adams will) be able to come to the games and hopefully we’ll be past this time like it never happened in our sense, but it’s just the reality that it’s been difficult for a lot of us in New York City and across the world,” he said. “I know he’s feeling it and I’m just grateful that he’s on my side as well as the Commissioner.”