Dr. Jay Varma recently bragged about blocking Kyrie Irving from playing ball because he didn’t take the vaccine back in 2020. Varma called Kyrie an “a**” and seemed pretty proud that he had been instrumental in sidelining Kyrie Irving due to the vaccine mandates he helped push. But was that really fair? Sure, Kyrie chose not to get the shot, but he had his reasons, and they seemed legit. Kyrie put it out there, saying, “Nobody should be forced to do anything with their bodies.”

Because of the whole COVID-19 vaccine mandate drama, things got super rough for Kyrie. He took a lot of heat and even lost a fat contract extension deal because of it. Kyrie reflected on his choice, saying,. “I gave up four years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision,” Irving said. “[Get this] contract, get vaccinated or be unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you’re going to be in this league, whether you’re going to be on this team, so I had to deal with that real-life circumstance of losing my job for this decision.”

The wild part is, Kyrie stayed true to his decision of not getting the vaccine, even with all the heat and setbacks he had to deal with. It just shows how tough and committed he is to standing up for what he believes in, no matter how many challenges get thrown his way.

In response to the Nets doctors’ claim that cost him $100M, Kyrie retweeted a powerful message: “GOD is truly the greatest, and the TRUTH is always revealed in the light. I am grateful I am not alone on this mission. ‘Rise up out of the ashes no matter what.’ Hélà.” But it seems the doctor wasn’t the only one who had beef with Kyrie during his time with the Nets.

Last season, in a game between Dallas and Brooklyn, a fan yelled at Kyrie, asking why he didn’t play like that when he was with the Nets. Without skipping a beat, Kyrie shot back, “Thank Mayor Adams for that, bro.” The tension between Kyrie and Mayor Adams has some history. After Kyrie’s trade to Dallas, Adams took a jab at him, saying, “I will find the team that beats us the most and then send him to that team because we would start beating that team. No matter how much talent you have, your ability to interact with your colleagues is more important.”

Kyrie Irving put on a show that night against the Nets

Coming back to the Brooklyn Nets’ home court, Kyrie Irving didn’t get the same warm welcome as Kevin Durant; instead, he was met with boos from Nets fans every time he touched the ball. But that didn’t faze the NBA champ at all. Kyrie came out and put on a show, dropping 36 points as the Dallas Mavericks took down the Nets 119-107.

After the game, Kyrie Irving opened up about his time with the Brooklyn Nets, admitting that while he didn’t snag the championship glory he was after, his journey meant way more than just winning titles. He talked about taking moral stands that really shaped his personal growth, showing how significant those choices were for him.

“There were some political things that were going on here as well that I couldn’t control that I was responsible for. There were some things that I did on my accord that I look back on, and they were mistakes and I have to be accountable for those things. Not perfect, but one thing I can say is I’ve been able to learn from things and continue to push forward,” Irving said. What are your thoughts on this?