While NBA guard Kyrie Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is in sharp contrast to the vaccine mandated by Duke — his alma mater — the basketball team appeared to support him on social media.
During an Instagram Live video Wednesday night, Irving explained his reasons for not getting vaccinated, which makes him unavailable to play for the Brooklyn Nets. During the video, the Duke basketball team’s official account sent a “100” emoji that appeared to back his comments.
The 29-year-old Irving played one season of college basketball at Duke, appearing in just 11 games due to a toe injury, before the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him No. 1 overall in the 2011 NBA draft.
Current Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith was Irving’s teammate at Duke. On Tuesday, he used his Twitter feed to support him by attempting to expand the conversation beyond just the vaccine.
“Kyrie Irving is a hell of a person that has done so much for all communities,” Smith said. “He is making a personal decision. That’s his choice. If you don’t like it… cool, You are not him!! Have a great day!”
A Duke athletics department spokesman said he “respectfully declined” to comment on the matter Thursday when reached by The News & Observer.
On Tuesday, at the ACC Tipoff news conference in Charlotte, N.C., Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked if he’d been in contact with his former player and had any comments about his decision.
Krzyzewski said he exchanges texts with Irving “every once in a while” and had just been in contact with him last week when he sent a photo of Duke’s players wearing one of Irving’s signature Nike shoes and saying how much they liked them.
But they have not spoken about COVID-19 vaccines.
“No I haven’t talked to him,” Krzyzewski said on Tuesday, when asked about Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated. “That’s his decision.”
Krzyzewski and his wife, Mickie, are fully vaccinated and have already received their booster shots.
Duke requires full vaccination for all students, with certain exceptions, and, as of Oct. 1, full vaccination is a condition of employment at the school.
Because of New York City’s vaccine mandate, the Brooklyn Nets are not allowing Irving to practice or play on the team until he complies. Irving said on the video he is neither pro-vaccine nor anti-vaccine and he is “uncertain about a lot of things.”
“The financial consequences, I know I do not want to even do that,” Irving said on the video. “But it is reality that in order to be in New York City, in order to be on a team, I have to be vaccinated. I chose to be unvaccinated, and that was my choice, and I would ask you all to just respect that choice.”
