Personal choice comes at a cost, and for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, his controversial decision to avoid getting vaccinated incurred a heavy one vis-à-vis free agency.
“I gave up four years, $100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated, and that was the decision,” Kyrie Irving told reports during the recent Brooklyn Nets media day.
“It was: contract, get vaccinated or being unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you’re gonna be in this league, whether you’re gonna be on this team, so I had to deal with that real-life circumstance of losing my job for this decision.”
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As noted by Business Insider, refusing to get vaccinated likely cost Kyrie Irving closer to $200 million plus.
Last year, the superstar was on the precipice of inking a blockbuster contract extension with the New York City-based franchise. But due to a local COVID-19 mandate that prevented him from playing home games all the way until March, Irving was forced to miss 35/41 matches at Barclays Centre (plus another against the Knicks).
Negotiations fell through after his absentee season.
“We were supposed to have all that figured out before training camp last year,” revealed Kyrie Irving.
“And it just didn’t happen because of the status of me being vaccinated, unvaccinated. So, I understood their point and I just had to live with it. It was a tough pill to swallow, honestly.”
Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks has categorically denied the notion Irving was being given an “ultimatum” regarding the potential contract extension.
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“There’s no ultimatum being given here,” said Sean Marks.
“Again, it goes back to you want people who are reliable, people who are here, and accountable. All of us: staff, players, coaches, you name it.”
“It’s not giving somebody an ultimatum to get a vaccine. That’s a completely personal choice. I stand by Kyrie. I think if he wants, he’s made that choice. That’s his prerogative completely.”
Kyrie Irving has now opted into the final year of his current contract valued at approximately $36.5 million for the 2022-23 season. Currently, he’s on track for free agency next summer.
