Kyrie Irving: Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash admits star will miss home games

Irving, a seven-time All-Star, had spoken on the league’s media day final month of his pleasure to play in entrance of followers once more however refused to reveal his vaccination standing, saying he “wish to preserve all that personal.”

“I do know that I will be there daily it doesn’t matter what and simply be current for my teammates as one of many leaders on the staff,” Irving stated.

“I do know the main target must be at an all-time excessive, no distractions. That is the very last thing I needed to create, was extra distractions and extra hoopla and extra drama round this.

“I am doing my greatest to keep up this with good intentions and a great coronary heart.”

The HSS Coaching Middle — the Nets’ follow facility in Brooklyn — is viable for Irving to coach at as a result of it’s thought of a personal office and subsequently not topic to New York Metropolis’s vaccination mandate, which prohibits NBA gamers from taking part in residence video games if they don’t seem to be vaccinated or exempt. The regulation doesn’t apply to visiting gamers.

Listed as ineligible by the Nets, Irving was absent for Friday’s residence preseason victory over the defending NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Kevin Durant and James Harden each featured for the Nets, who ran out 119-115 winners in a repeat match-up of final season’s Japanese Convention semifinals.

Final season’s Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t characteristic for the champions — although the Greek might be set to play as a part of a a lot stronger Bucks facet when the 2 groups meet once more for the season opener in Milwaukee on October 19.