National Basketball Association

Kyrie Irving cleared to play home games after vaccine mandate is lifted

Updated Mar. 24, 2022 1:38 p.m. ET

The wait to see Kyrie Irving play at Barclays Center is coming to an end.

After being barred from playing in home games this season due to being unvaccinated against COVID-19, the New York City private-sector mandate is being lifted, clearing the way for Irving to play in games in Brooklyn.

Irving did not budge on his decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine this season, even though it meant he would not be able to play in games at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks or at Barclays Center, where the Nets play their home games.

Due to the vaccine mandate, the seven-time NBA All-Star guard has only appeared in 19 games this year, all of them coming on the road. For the season, he is averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

But with the NBA playoffs set to begin next month, and the Brooklyn Nets currently staring at the play-in round, the franchise was holding out hope that the NYC law would allow Irving the freedom to play at home, even though the Nets are 8-12 in games including Irving this season.

Irving took the floor on Wednesday for the Nets' road matchup with the Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies. He tallied 43 points and eight assists in a 132-120 loss.

On Thursday, Shannon Sharpe weighed in on what Irving's return to full-time play will mean for Brooklyn, but he wasn't as optimistic as maybe most Brooklyn fans, pointing specifically to Wednesday's result.

"Can Kyrie give you 43 every night? Can [Kevin Durant] give you 35? They got 78 points between those two and they still lose by 12 without Ja, because they gave up [76] points in the first half."

For Chris Broussard, even though he agrees that Brooklyn is not the best team in the East with a full-time Irving, it's not far off.

"It certainly changes my opinion of the Nets, because without Kyrie playing home games, they had absolutely no chance of getting out of the East. Now, at least they do have a puncher's chance. … One of the challenges for the Nets will be chemistry and continuity — same thing for Philly. Boston is young. Miami doesn't have overwhelming talent.

"The Nets are right there with everybody else, outside of Milwaukee."

Irving is not the only athlete who would benefit from the private sector vaccine mandate being lifted.

The MLB season is set to begin the first week of April, and unvaccinated players from both the New York Yankees and New York Mets would be able to play in homes games and in Canada as well.