Bill De Blasio Rumors

A change in the New York City Mayor’s office could pave the way for Kyrie Irving to return to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. Mayor-elect Eric Adams plans to “revisit” the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate rules once he takes office, according to the New York Post. “We need to revisit how we are going to address the vaccine mandates. Now, I stated I did not want to Monday-morning-quarterback the mayor [Bill de Blasio]. This is his time to be the man, he has to make the decisions,” Adams said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” per the Post.

He added on CNN’s “New Day” that “I hope the mayor — and I am encouraging him to do that — to sit down with unions and come to a resolution. And if he doesn’t, if this is still going to January, I’m going to sit down with them and we’re going to get this resolved.” The Nets last month banned Irving, a West Orange native, from practices and games because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19. The team has said he can only return as a “full participant,” meaning either he gets vaccinated or New York’s regulations change. Irving is projected to lose about half of his $35 million salary this season as a result, but still gets paid for road games.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams vowed to “revisit” the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers when he takes office and reach a “resolution” on the matter, as he took an election victory lap Wednesday morning. During a series of media appearances the day after he handily beat Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa, the Democrat also repeatedly promised he wouldn’t step on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s toes regarding the controversial jab order. “We need to revisit how we are going to address the vaccine mandates. Now, I stated I did not want to Monday-morning-quarterback the mayor. This is his time to be the man, he has to make the decisions,” Adams said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Tommy Beer: So, less relevant considering the Nets announcement this morning, but I just heard back from an official in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, and he affirmed that: Kyrie Irving is NOT permitted to play vs. the Knicks at Madison Square Garden unless/until he gets the vaccine.