Stephen A. Smith calls out New York mandate affecting Kyrie Irving

I’ve been critical of Kyrie Irving. I didn’t stutter. I’m not backing up. I meant every single damn word I said, but that does not mean that what New York has done to him is right. It is not. Kyrie Irving should have never been prevented or prohibited from playing a game at the Barclay Center this season. The city of New York’s rule is bogus, it is ridiculous, and it has no business being in place and Eric Adams the mayor, who I like by the way, needs to step up and handle his business in this regard, in this specific regard. We all in or we’re out. The governor of New York needs to do to say we in or we out. What do I mean by that? Very simple. How can a visitor come into the Barclay Center and be unvaccinated? How can they be unvaccinated, a visiting player assuming there was one, I’m not saying that was, but if the rule stated if a visiting player came into the city, unvaccinated they would be allowed to play at the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden. How is it that a visitor could come and play, but Kyrie Irving can’t play? It makes absolutely no sense.

Even the commissioner Adam Silver said he was a bit flummoxed. That wasn’t the word he used. I’m using that, but he was a bit flummoxed at the fact that that rule is in place. It made no sense. Either you have to be vaccinated in order to play at an indoor facility in New York or not. It shouldn’t be well, you know, home team, you’re here, so you can’t play, but a visitor could come into town and play. It makes absolutely, positively no sense whatsoever. Kyrie Irving has been thoroughly screwed over in that regard. There is no excuse for that. You either in or you out. Either you have to be vaccinated to participate in competition inside the Barclay Center or you can’t. It can’t be the home team can’t play there, but a visitor could come in and play there. That is why I feel that Kyrie Irving should be allowed to play effective immediately.