Senator Ted Cruz: ‘Let Kyrie Irving play’

The Hill: @SenTedCruz: “Let Kyrie Irving play. If Brooklyn won’t let Kyrie play, I’m going to make a pitch to you directly. Kyrie, come to Houston, play for the Rockets. We’ll let you play. He’s a hell of a player. Uncle Drew’s being benched by asinine Democratic theater. This is stupid.”
Source: Twitter

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Sopan Deb @SopanDeb
The one thing about Kyrie Irving which continues to vex me. and I haven’t been able to get an answer from NYC City Hall on this. Why is he allowed to practice at the Nets facility? Why wouldn’t the private sector mandate apply there? – 3:05 PM

Brian Windhorst @WindhorstESPN
New podcast. Warriors trying to put themselves back together & the questionable pressure campaign underway to lift vaccine mandate for Kyrie Irving (w/@Marc J. Spears & @Kendra Andrews) es.pn/3CLz3Z6 – 10:26 AM

Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
That’s six 50-point games in 10 days.
March 5 – LeBron James
March 6 – Jayson Tatum
March 8 – Kyrie Irving
March 11 – LeBron James
March 13 – Kevin Durant
March 14 – Karl-Anthony Towns
That’s already one shy of the most ever in March.
There are 17 days left in March. – 10:39 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets fined $50K for allowing Kyrie Irving into Barclays Center locker room. #NBA nypost.com/2022/03/14/net… via @nypostsports – 7:35 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
New for ⁦@YahooSports⁩: Of course it’s ridiculous. But Kyrie Irving shouldn’t get a NYC exception. He can fix this if he chooses sports.yahoo.com/kyrie-irving-s… – 6:35 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
KD releases a statement through the Nets in the wake of his comments Sunday directed at NYC Mayor Eric Adams. This comes about 20 minutes after the league announced it fined the organization $50,000 for allowing Kyrie in the locker room at halftime of yesterday’s Knicks game. pic.twitter.com/M9jpyeXoSG – 5:51 PM

Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Nets fined $50,000 for letting Kyrie Irving into the locker room
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/13… – 5:51 PM

The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA
NBA fines Brooklyn Nets $50,000 for letting Kyrie Irving enter the team’s locker room.
➡️ https://t.co/jNO6QfJDKR pic.twitter.com/qpumVdzBlv – 5:46 PM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Nets win at home vs Knicks.
Kyrie watches from courtside.
Kyrie goes into the locker room.
KD drops a 50 ball.
Kyrie daps him up on the court.
KD calls out the Mayor.
Nets get fined $50K.
KD releases a statement.
24 hours in Brooklyn – 5:44 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
NBA fines Nets $50K for unvaccinated Kyrie Irving entering locker room nba.nbcsports.com/2022/03/14/nba… – 5:40 PM

Mike Mazzeo @MazzNYC
Kevin Durant may run the Nets but he doesn’t run the city. How about issuing a statement calling for Kyrie Irving to get the shot like everyone else so he can play at home .. – 5:40 PM

Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
Since the All Star Break, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranks ninth in the NBA in scoring, and fourth in field goal percentage among the nine players averaging 30+ points in that span (Tatum, Morant, Irving, Durant, James, Embiid, Doncic, and Antetokounmpo). – 5:40 PM

Barbara Barker @meanbarb
NBA has fined Nets 50,000 dollars for allowing Kyrie Irving into their locker room at halftime of Sunday’s win over the #Knicks in violation of “local New York City law and league health and safety protocols,” – 5:32 PM

Melissa Rohlin @melissarohlin
The Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the team’s locker room on March 13 against the New York Knicks, violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols. – 5:31 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
The NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $50,000 for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols in the team’s March 13th game against the Knicks at Barclays Center for allowing Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room. pic.twitter.com/M9IZfnXaKx – 5:25 PM

Jeff Zillgitt @JeffZillgitt
NBA fines Nets $50K for “violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols” when they “permitted Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room,” per league news release. pic.twitter.com/onpa41q2Sw – 5:25 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Nets fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating NYC law and league health and safety protocols by letting unvaccinated spectator Kyrie Irving enter the locker room Sunday against the Knicks. – 5:25 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
The #Nets have been fined $50,000 by the #NBA for allowing Kyrie Irving into their locker room at halftime of Sunday’s win over the #Knicks in violation of “local New York City law and league health and safety protocols,” according to the league. #Nyk – 5:25 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
#NBA fines #Nets $50K as Kyrie Irving was in the building. pic.twitter.com/t5lscsqqGT – 5:25 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
Nets have been fined $50,000 for violating league health and safety protocols by letting Kyrie Irving in the locker room on Sunday, NBA says: pic.twitter.com/nwb7AdqEfc – 5:24 PM

Jason Dumas @JDumasReports
The Nets were fines 50k for allowing Kyrie into the locker room after their home game against the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/rFkkjcvNU8 – 5:24 PM

Jason Anderson @JandersonSacBee
Nets fined $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the locker room Sunday at Barclays Center. pic.twitter.com/f8QAr9ulKM – 5:24 PM

Howard Beck @HowardBeck
The NBA was apparently not amused with Kyrie/Nets violating NYC law. pic.twitter.com/TlrYRiqUC9 – 5:24 PM

Vincent Goodwill @VinceGoodwill
The Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating New York City law and league health and safety protocols by allowing Kyrie Irving into the locker room – 5:23 PM

Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
The NBA announced that the Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 for “violating local New York City law and league and health safety protocols” during Sunday’s game vs New York at Barclays Center. The incident in question: allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the team’s locker room – 5:23 PM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
The Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 for violating NYC law and league health and safety protocols during the team’s game Sunday with the Knicks.
“The violation occurred when the Nets permitted Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room” – 5:23 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
That’s fine $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the team’s locker room during their game in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/0SjlwcS3Tc – 5:23 PM

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
The Brooklyn Nets hae been fined $50,000 for violating NYC law and league health and safety protocols during the team’s game Sunday with the Knicks.
“The violation occurred when the Nets permitted Kyrie Irving, who was in attendance at the game, to enter the team’s locker room.” – 5:23 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
The NBA announces the Nets have been fined $50,000 for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the locker room yesterday at Barclays Center. pic.twitter.com/w6y9MiqBbn – 5:23 PM

Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
NBA fined the Brooklyn Nets $50K for violating local health and safety protocols by letting Kyrie Irving into the team locker room on Sunday. – 5:22 PM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
The Nets have been fined $50,000 by the NBA for allowing Kyrie Irving in their locker room during Sunday’s game against the Knicks in violation of “local New York City law and league health and safety protocols,” the NBA said. – 5:22 PM

JD Shaw @JShawNBA
The Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols by allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the locker room. – 5:22 PM

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
The Brooklyn Nets organization has been fined $50,000 for violating local New York City law and league health and safety protocols against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center for allowing Kyrie Irving to enter the team’s locker room. – 5:22 PM

More on this storyline

Stefan Bondy: Spoke to a City Hall spokesperson and the Yankees and Mets fall under the same private sector mandate as Kyrie Irving and the Nets. No difference because it’s an outdoor sport. Spokesperson cautioned that things could change by Opening Day. -via Twitter @SBondyNYDN / March 15, 2022

Malika Andrews: After publicly criticizing mayor Eric Adams and New York’s vaccine rules on Sunday, Kevin Durant has issued the following statement, per the team: -via Twitter @malika_andrews / March 14, 2022

Adrian Wojnarowski: Kyrie Irving is allowed to enter the arena, but not the workplace environment — and the locker room is considered part of the Nets’ workplace environment at the Barclays Center. Ultimately, the NBA fined the organization — not Irving — for the violation. -via Twitter @wojespn / March 14, 2022