Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets‘ star who won’t be allowed to play this season because of his refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccine, could net as much as $19 million without setting foot on the court.
Irving,29, defended his decision to not get vaccinated on Wednesday — one day after Nets general manager Sean Marks said the guard would not play or practice until he met New York City vaccine eligibility requirements. „Nobody should be forced to do anything with their bodies,“ Irving said in an Instagram Live video, adding that his decision was not politically motivated. Irving would miss as many as 43 games next season under the city’s current mandate, with the Nets scheduled to play 41 games at home and two road games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Nets, however, will be required to pay Irving for about 40 away games should he remain on the team since it was their decision to keep him off the court. The seven-time All-Star is in his third year of a four-year, $136 million contract signed with the Nets in 2019. He was expected to earn more than $34 million this season, according to Spotrac.
