Unvaccinated Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving got into the paint and swished one of his soft mid-range jumpers for his first two points on the 2021-22 season.
Later in the game, Irving used his clever dribble to snake through defenders and use the backboard for layup.
In his season debut, Irving had 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, four assists and three rebounds in Brooklyn’s 129-121 victory against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of gratitude just to be present tonight with everyone and go out there and have fun doing what we love to do,” Irving said.
Irving, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, can only play in road games because a New York City mandate requires proof of vaccination to enter arenas. At the beginning of the season, the Nets said they didn’t want Irving to be part-time player and that he wouldn’t play or practice until he was fully vaccinated.
But injuries and COVID-19 decimated the Nets roster, and they needed players. They made the decision to allow Irving to play part-time. Asked after the game if he was open to getting the vaccine so he can play in home games, too, Irving avoided the question.
With Irving, the Nets get an elite seven-time All-Star guard back in the lineup alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden. Irving is a proficient 3-point shooter, excellent shot-creator in the paint and effective mid-range scorer and makes the Nets a better team.
He showed some of that against the Pacers, helping the Nets overcome a 19-point…
