Efforts by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to implement a sweeping vaccine mandate for all of its players are hitting unexpected resistance from a large coalition of players banding together in opposition to vaccinations, as reported by Breitbart.
The coalition is led by Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, who is refusing to get vaccinated even in the face of punishment from the NBA. Other players, such as Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic, are rallying around Irving and may join in his impromptu boycott of the NBA’s controversial new rule.
Irving’s aunt, Tyki Irving, spoke out about her nephew’s efforts, suggesting that he and other players might start skipping out on games in protest.
“There are so many other players outside of him who are opting out,” she said. “I would like to think they would make a way. It could be like every third game. So it still gives you a full season of being interactive and being on the court, but with the limitations that they’re, of course, oppressing upon you. There can be some sort of formula where the NBA and the players can come to some sort of agreement.”
Tyki further clarified that Kyrie is not seeking a “religious-based” exemption from the vaccine, but instead a “morals-based” one.
“You may have to sit on the sideline, you might not have to be in the arena during this,” she said. “If it’s that freaking important to get a vaccine that, hell, it’s still not preventing COVID, then I’d rather them working it out that way than to say, ‘Hey, if you don’t get the vaccine, then you can’t be a part of the franchise that you f**king helped build.’”