Kyrie Irving’s unvaccinated status cost him over $100M

• Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving told reporters that he lost a contract extension worth over $100 million due to his unvaccinated status.
• The New York City vaccine mandate caused him to miss 35 out of 41 home games, which cost him about $15.3 million.
• His unavailability threw his contract extension into question, leading him to opt into his final year before becoming a free agent next summer.

NBA star Kyrie Irving shared how much his unvaccinated status cost him during the Brooklyn Nets media day. The Nets guard said that his decision to remain unvaccinated led to him losing a contract extension worth over $100 million.

Irving told reporters, “I gave up four years, $100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated. And that was the decision. It was: contract, get vaccinated or being unvaccinated and there’s a level of uncertainty of your future, whether you’re gonna be in this league, whether you’re gonna be on this team.”

Irving’s losses may have totaled over $200 million.

New York City’s vaccine mandates didn’t allow Irving to play in home games until March last season. Out of 41 home games, Irving missed 35, as well as one game against the New York Knicks. Since he made about $425,000 per game last year, the missed games in NYC cost him about $15.3 million.

Aside from that, Irving was eligible for a five-year, $200 million extension with the Nets this summer. But the team was reluctant to commit after a rough season.

The free agent market also gave him limited options, with many teams also wary to commit because of his frequent lack of availability. In his three years in Brooklyn, he’s only played 103 games. The Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in signing him but they didn’t have the cap space.

Irving eventually opted into his contract’s final year, which is worth about $36.5 million for the 2022-23 season, and going into free agency next summer. He said that he did consider leaving, but there were “not many” options.

He added that the extension was supposed to have been decided on before last season started, but his stance on remaining unvaccinated threw some doubt.

“I understood [management’s] point, and I just had to live with it,” Irving said. “It was a tough pill to swallow.”

Irving’s availability and play will continue to be scrutinized this season, which could potentially define his career as the Nets are poised to contend for a championship.

Source: Insider