The NBA continues to push forward regardless of Kyrie Irving’s status as a non-vaccinated player.
An anonymous NBA executive spoke with HoopsHype on head coaches using their yield signs regarding Irving’s behavior.
“Honestly, it might’ve been four teams before this (his refusal to get vaccinated). He’s a guy that front offices don’t trust. Coaches don’t want to deal with him. Players like him,”
“For the most part, every front office and coaching staff is scared to death of him and doesn’t want to touch him,” one NBA executive told HoopsHype. “Honestly, it might’ve been four teams before this (his refusal to get vaccinated). He’s a guy that front offices don’t trust. Coaches don’t want to deal with him. Players like him.”
“He had his own way about things,” as one of Irving’s former assistant coaches for several seasons told HoopsHype. “If he didn’t agree with the philosophy, he was going to do his own thing. In coaching, you always hope the player will at least try the coach’s way. Most coaches will see they’re trying to execute, and if it’s not working, they change it. Kyrie is like, if this isn’t going to work, I’m not going to do it.”
Irving last season averaged 26.9 points but dealt with injuries keeping him from playing against the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. Without Irving’s presence in the league, he doesn’t care to do what the norm is for others.
Nevertheless, Irving is pretty much the Kanye West of the NBA. Misunderstood, a visionary and one who doesn’t conform to the world standards of operating in a pandemic, but logic is sometimes flawed and filled with misinformation.
Kyrie is a brilliant player when he is on the court, but do you really want to offer a max contract to a player who might not be available.
Flip the page for the chaos outside Barclay’s center on Irving fans’ protest.