New York City. Some may argue that it’s the best city not only in America but in the whole world. New York City recently changed many people’s minds on that. Mayor Bill de Blasio recently mandated that, to attend any indoor event or sit at a restaurant, you must show proof of your COVID-19 vaccination. This includes the Barclays Center, where superstar Kyrie Irving for the Brooklyn Nets now calls home. Kyrie Irving has refused to comply with New York City’s now-in-place mandate and, as a result, has been suspended from playing in the NBA.

Many Brooklyn Nets fans and Irving fans are enraged by his decision. With the Brooklyn Nets recently acquiring superstars James Harden and Kevin Durant, this trio looked promising to get the job done and bring a championship to New York. This has also enraged fans, but what about Irving’s right as a human and him not feeling comfortable taking something he isn’t fully confident with? I asked Brianna Lee and Jay Turner, both basketball players at Mercy, to share their take on this situation. 

Brianna Lee is a junior at Mercy. She is a center and has drive and ambition for her craft. She is a center for the women’s basketball team, so hard work and grit are no strangers to her. I had the pleasure of asking her how she felt about this controversial topic. Lee started off strong by saying, “His body, his choice. I don’t know if I would have done the same thing as an athlete, but he had his shine in the NBA, and now he’s just doing what he feels like is right. If I put myself in his shoes and I was in his position, where he played for so long, I probably wouldn’t have taken the vaccine. But if it were my first year and I was in his position, I probably would have taken the vaccine because I finally made it. I am a New York fan. I enjoy watching them. You already know my Knicks are out here,” Lee said jokingly. “I feel like if Kyrie was playing this year the most definitely would have had a chance to take it all. Fans will always have their own opinions, though. Who knows, there could have been people who would’ve been mad at Kyrie if he actually did end up taking the vaccine. There are people mad now that they don’t have their big trio, and there are people who are happy they don’t have that big trio, so people are always going to feel a certain way on both sides. 

I then asked Lee If playing in the WNBA was ever a goal of hers and she responded immediately by saying “Yes, I most definitely wanted to make it to the WNBA. From an athlete’s point of view it’s very unfortunate because he did work hard you know? Everybody earned their position as a professional player. It’s a tough decision. Maybe he was thinking about his family or he was being mindful of the people he would be around.” I ended my conversation by asking Lee if she felt that it’s wrong that Irving’s rights to continue living his dream had been stripped from him, since he doesn’t want to comply with the mandate, and she had this to say. “I do feel like it’s wrong that they are taking that opportunity from him, he worked his butt off to get to where he’s at. As an athlete, it hits different for me. I would be very upset if they took away my rights,” Lee ended off by saying. 

I also got a chance to speak to Jay Turner, who is a point guard here at Mercy, and is also a huge fan of Kyrie. Hearing his perspective on this situation was also an experience. I asked how his love for Irving first started. “Kobe is my favorite player of all time and Kyrie is one of his disciples so that’s how I first got into being a fan of Kyrie. They have similar play styles. In my opinion, he’s one of the best to ever do it. He’s got the full package as an athlete.” In Turner’s eyes, without Irving, the Nets are a solid regular-season team. “When it comes down to the playoffs and the stakes are high and the defense is on point you need your go to guy who can go and get a bucket for you, and that guy is Kyrie,” I asked Turner as an athlete how he feels that Kyrie can’t continue playing his dream that he put blood, sweat and tears in for because of something he chooses not to put in his body. Turner can relate in this way since he is striving to reach that ultimate goal of making it to the NBA. “I think what he’s doing is not only for himself. I think he’s doing it for other people who don’t have the luxury to make millions of dollars and who can’t live out their dream. It’s an NYC mandate and not an NBA mandate, but I feel like it’s wrong that they are allowing other athletes to come and play in New York who aren’t vaccinated such as Bradley Beal from the Wizards.”

I wrapped up my interview with Turner by asking him how he feels about Irving’s situation and if he agrees or not. Turner wrapped up by saying this. “Obviously, only God can judge us, so who am I to tell someone what Kyrie should do, but as a fan first, I’m disappointed that he’s not playing. But I do understand why he’s not, because he is a human first. It’s crazy how hard people are working that they think that basketball is bigger than life, which is completely delusional to me.” Turner wrapped up the interview by speaking on if he was in Irving’s position and what he would do.

“If I were in Kyrie’s position, I would be doing the same thing he’s doing right now. I am someone who stands on their word and what I believe in so I would take that stand.” 

Getting the opportunity to interview players from both the men’s and women’s basketball teams gave me the chance to see a perspective from both sides. They are striving to be at the level that Irving plays at so hearing their point of view was truly an amazing experience.