Nets star Kevin Durant was not quiet about his thoughts on New York City’s private-sector coronavirus vaccine mandate.
“I don’t get it,” Durant said after scoring 53 points without Kyrie Irving, en route to the Nets’ 110-107 win over the Knicks on Sunday. “At this point now, it feels like somebody’s trying to make a statement or a point to flex their authority, but everybody out here is looking for attention, and that’s what I feel the mayor wants right now is some attention.”
The City’s private-sector vaccine mandate, set by former Mayor Bill de Blasio and carried on by Adams, and Irving’s unvaccinated status are what have restricted Durant’s teammate from playing at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden this season.
Durant called the private sector mandate “ridiculous” because Irving — who is allowed to watch games as a spectator and did so on Sunday — could have simply taken two steps from his courtside seat onto the floor to compete in the game.
“He’ll figure it out soon,” Durant said of Adams. “He better, but it just didn’t make any sense. It’s unvaxxed people in this building already. We’ve got a guy who can come into the building, I guess are they fearing our safety? I don’t get it. We’re all confused. Everybody in the world is confused at this point.
“Earlier on in the season, people didn’t understand what’s going on, but now it just looks stupid. So hopefully Eric you’ve gotta figure this out.”
But the mandate wasn’t created as a target at Irving. It impacts everyone who works in the City — last month 1,430 municipal workers (less than 1% of the city’s workforce, per reports) were fired for refusing to get fully vaccinated or submit proof of vaccination.
Asked about the mandate and making an exception for Irving back on Feb. 28, Adams said: “I want Kyrie on the court. I would do anything to get that ring. But there’s so much at stake here. I can’t have my city close down again. It would send the wrong message to have an exception just for one player when we’re telling countless number of New York City employees ‘if you don’t follow the rules, you won’t be able to be employed.’”
The lingering vaccine mandate is equal parts frustrating and confusing for Nets players, coaches and team officials, who first believed Irving would be able to play when Hizzoner repealed the Key2NYC indoor vaccine mandate on March 7. It was only a couple days before the repeal announcement that a spotlight was shined on the City’s private-sector vaccine mandate.
The City’s website currently reads: “Businesses may not allow any unvaccinated workers to work at their workplace,” and defines a “workplace” as “any location — including a vehicle — where you work in the presence of at least one other person.”
The spirit of the mandate, however, is what players like Durant have questioned. The Nets vs. Knicks game aired on ABC and showed Irving walking onto the court midway through the second quarter, sauntering from the visitor’s tunnel to his courtside seat, giving hugs and handshakes along the way. It was a surreal moment Durant said he shared with his teammate, Andre Drummond.
“I was at the free throw line when he walked in,” Durant said. “Me and Drum looked at each other and were like, ‘Yo, this is unreal. I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ We just smiled. I mean we can say that about a lot of situations over these last few years where things didn’t make any sense, especially with covid being involved.”
Durant then delivered another pointed message at Adams.
“Hopefully it gets figured out,” he said. “When I say, ‘Eric, you gotta figure out something, man,’ ‘cause it’s looking crazy, especially on national TV. And he can come to the game but can’t play? Like come on. Hey, yo Eric!”
The mayor, for what it’s worth, has not budged on his stance. He wants all New Yorkers, Irving included, to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Let Kyrie play,” a heckler shouted as Adams at an event with the NYC Parks Department early Sunday morning.
“Listen. You’re right,” the mayor said. “Kyrie can play tomorrow. Get vaccinated.”
There have been over 2.2 million COVID-19 cases recorded in the City since the first was reported on Feb. 29, 2020, with over 161K hospitalizations and nearly 40K deaths as a result, per the City’s Department of Health.
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