“He’s a Knicks fan, so I’m pretty sure he won’t lift that until he has to”
New York City’s Vaccine Commission has been a thorn in the side brooklyn network‘besides all seasons, keep Kyrie Irving from playing in the city this season. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, on his podcast, joked that New York City Mayor Eric Adams was a New York Knicks fans, that’s why the puzzling quest remains intact.
The commission requires that everyone who wants to return to their workplace in the city be vaccinated. The rule made it illegal for Irving to play for the Nets in home games or against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. However, he was able to practice with the team and attend matches at both venues as a ticketed spectator.
Mayor Adams has stood firm on the issue, despite public outcry and even the NBA saying the law makes no sense.
On the Arenas podcast, “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas,” the three-time star joked about Mayor Adam’s loyalty to the Knicks about why he didn’t lift the vaccination mandate. At 9:40 am, Arenas said:
“Is the mayor a Knicks fan or a Nets fan? … At this point, he was older. Perhaps, he is from New York. He’s a Knicks fan, so I’m pretty sure he won’t lift that until he has to.”
The Knicks (30-41) didn’t actually make it to the knockout stages or a starting spot. They are five games behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks (35-36) in the Eastern Conference. With only 10 matches left, it seems like a mountain too big to climb.
Mayor Adams was born in Brooklyn in 1960. However, after being the New York Nets (mostly in the ABA), the Nets acted as the New Jersey Nets for most of Adams’ life. They moved to Brooklyn in 2012.
Adams rose from the ranks of the New York City police before running for mayor in 2021 and winning the election. Adams may have been a Knicks fan, staying in New York for most of his life. It’s unlikely his fandom influenced this law.
Will New York City’s vaccination mandate change ahead of the NBA knockouts?
For the Nets to make it to the NBA Finals, they’ll likely need Kyrie Irving in 100% of the games. That won’t happen unless and until the assignment changes. Mayor Adams has been adamant about not changing the law. He said Irving should get a COVID-19 vaccine to compete.
However, with COVID-19 cases falling in New York City, Adams has begun to lift some of its mask and vaccine duties. Now, people can dine indoors without proof of vaccination, and school children no longer have to wear masks.
The next step would be to recall or change the mandatory vaccine law. On top of that, with the Major League Baseball season coming to an end, Adams is now under pressure from both the New York Yankees and the Mets to adjust duties.