Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant wants Kyrie Irving to play as much as possible, but he’s not about to dictate anything to his teammate about getting vaccinated.
Getty Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving look on during a 2020 game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Kevin Durant may be having an MVP-type season for the Brooklyn Nets, but even he can’t be expected to compensate for the loss of a player like Kyrie Irving on a nightly basis. The team’s Friday bout with the defending-champion Bucks was a good reminder of how that can play out. Less than two days after a returning Irving teamed up with Durant to lead Brooklyn to a comeback win over the Pacers, the Nets — sans Irving — were trounced by Milwaukee on their home floor. And it happened despite the fact that KD dropped a 29-9-7 line in the game. In spite of the difference, Durant isn’t looking to force his teammate’s hand where getting his COVID-19 vaccination is concerned. Even if Irving not getting the poke means that he’ll be restricted to playing in road games for the foreseeable future. “I told him how important he is, how much I want him to play every game,” Durant said after the loss. “But I’m not about to force somebody to get a vaccine, like that’s not my thing. So he can play basketball? Nah, I’m not about to do that.
