Remember when Kyrie Irving revealed during an Instagram live in 2021 that he is unvaccinated? The player reasoned his decision with the argument, “Nobody should be forced to do anything with their bodies.” Later, severe criticism followed the Nets star, and it was necessary to follow the local COVID-19 vaccine regulations. Although the NBA did not compel players to follow to any kind of mandate, Kyrie still couldn’t participate in practices because of franchise-level rules. Recently, a core member of that policy board from New York went viral, seemingly ‘proud’ of his ability to stop Kai from playing, flaunting the fame he got for his actions.

A snippet that originally belongs to Steven Crowder, a journalist, has gone viral. One of his undercover journalists recorded a video of Dr. Jay Varma, New York City’s former Senior Health Advisor, talking about how his decision stopped Kyrie Irving from playing. “Because of the vaccine mandate that I passed, he was not allowed to play. So it became this huge national issue about why Kyrie Irving wasn’t allowed to play basketball because he was refusing to get vaccinated,” Dr. Varma said.

“Kyrie Irving, he refused to get vaccinated but because he played for the team in Brooklyn because of the vaccine mandate I passed, he was not allowed to play so it became this huge national issue,” Dr. Varma continued. Notably, the NYC COVID-19 vaccine mandate required players to be vaccinated before entering the gyms, fitness centres, including the home-court Barclays Center.

Shockingly, in the viral video, Dr. Jay then seemed impressed with all the media attention, as he further added with a smile on his face, “This is a fun part of my life. The Wall Street Journal wrote a whole story about me being the one that blocked Kyrie Irving from playing basketball.” Though it may seem like a normal thing that just stopped Kyrie Irving from playing ball with his peers, well, it wasn’t. The controversy continued for months, and the hooper also made his reservations known about this mandate.

And Dr. Jay Varma, in another interview, said, “He’s an a– because he’s trying to like, I’m not in a position to tell him how to dribble better or how to shoot better… why is he turning around and saying that like, I’m not going to tell him he doesn’t know how to dribble. Don’t tell me how the science works.”

It was not just basketball that the Mavericks star had to miss then. He also took a severe financial hit.

Financial consequences that Kyrie Irving had to face after the controversy around the COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Kyrie Irving did not change his stance on getting vaccinated, and the mandate did not exempt him either. Eventually, he was separated from the game as the Nets’ General Manager, Sean Marks, then told the media, “He has a choice to make, and he made his choice.” However, it affected the 8x NBA All-Star in its due course, as he confessed in September 2022 to ESPN, “I gave up 4 years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision.”

The former NBA champion was eligible for a contract extension at the time. Coming off a season averaging 26.9 points alongside just under 5 rebounds and 6 assists, the veteran point guard could have a lucrative deal. However, his decision regarding the vaccine did not get him and the Nets to a mutually agreeable conclusion.

Ultimately, Kai opted in for the final year, a player option that was worth $36.5 million. The Nets and Kyrie had all the time until June 2023 to negotiate an extension. Unfortunately, the deal could not be finalized, and the former NBA champion requested a trade.

Kyrie landed in Dallas in Feb 2023. The Nets decided to bet on younger talents and draft picks as they got Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, two future second-round picks, and a first-round draft pick in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris.

The veteran, in the Mavs, has worked like a miracle as he took his team to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Ahead of the next season, the Dallas side are favorites to beat the defending champions! Can Kyrie and Co. go all the way? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger