Kyrie Irving: American basketballer who has rejected Covid-19 vaccine [Pulse Contributor's Opinion]

As his career continues to hang in the balance, one may wonder, will Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving be remembered for his Hall of Fame 3-pointer against the Golden State Warriors in 2016?

Or will he be remembered for the shots that he did not take?

Kyrie is still adamant that he will not be taking the Covid-19 vaccine, a stand he hopes will give a voice to the voiceless.

“It’s about choosing what’s best for you. You think I really want to lose money? You think I really want to give up on my dream to go after a championship? You think I really just want to give up my job?” he said in a recent live video.

The player is not new to squabbles with his teammates, but in his defense, he chooses to empower the community and masses through his platform. 

Is it a selfish decision by Kyrie Irving?

Despite being a phenomenal player, Kyrie’s career hangs in the balance as the star is at loggerheads with his team.

Has Kyrie become selfish? His choice - not to get vaccinated - means that he will not be able to participate in any home games plus all GE’s that will be played in New York.

Among which, will be a duel against title challengers Golden State Warriors and the town nemesis New York Knicks.

According to many pundits, they are astonished that despite Kyrie’s claim that he is speaking for the voiceless, he has not come out clearly to state the reason why he is not taking the vaccine.

This comes at the offset of a global campaign for vaccination.

I reckon Kyrie means well, but for the lives we have lost in the 19-month pandemic, there is a hope for the future in the jab.

Contradictory as it may seem, there is no right or wrong side

On one hand is the effort to save lives through the vaccine, Kyrie is trying to practice his rights and freedoms.

The only undoing in Kyrie’s stance is the fact that he was instrumental in the signing of Kevin Durant and James Harden in what was propped up to make a championship dream team.

The talent on the Nets team is second to none, however, despite their greatness on paper, they have failed to make it count on court.

Mostly due to injuries and never being able to play together for long, they lack compatibility.

As many thought this was going to be the year they sprung to life, Kyrie is putting the team in jeopardy.

He will not be allowed to train with the team and also will not be allowed to play any New York games.

There's talk of Brooklyn Nets considering trading.

Is his stance going to rob Kyrie of his gained accolade?

 The foregoing is an Opinion Article submitted to Pulse Live Kenya for publication as part of the Pulse Contributors initiative.

Pulse Contributors is an initiative to highlight diverse journalistic voices. Pulse Contributors do not represent the company Pulse and contribute on their own behalf.

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Master Omamo is a passionate sports player and writer, with the liking for detail and experiencing new sports.