COVID shot refusal by the Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving now has the clubs permission and need to be a part time player - (NBA - photo)

Charles Barkley was a member of the 1992 USA Olympic Dream team BUT… he was never a member of an NBA title winning team ALL TIME NBA NEVER WON-NA TITLE TEAM

Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics Larry Bird in Game two of the 1985 NBA Finals at Boston Garden Date 30 May 1985 - Steve Lipofsky www.Basketballphoto.com ALL TIME NBA 1st TEAM - BREAKING IT DOWN MAGIC JOHNSON & PHAL SAMPHORS

SPORTS NOTES - HE'S BACK… KYRIE IRVING THAT IS

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

Irving has refused to be vaccinated and has yet to play a game this season - Due to injuries Irving has only played in 83 games during the past two seasons that he has been with the club. He most likely will make his debut, Jan. 5 at Indiana or Jan. 12 against the Chicago Bulls - NBA's ALL TIME BEST PLAYERS 1st and 2nd TEAMS

Friday December 31, 2021

COVID RULES SPORTS, BEHAVIORS & POLICIES

What can say when the COVID pandemic has brought the world to its knees. Many around the Western world have the attitude that they have a right not to take anti COVID inoculation. As the pandemic continues to reinvent itself and explode, professional sports teams have to dig deep just to have enough HEALTHY players to field a team for a game.

There is no question that all professional clubs and leagues have taken giant steps to fight the problem. Without question all have gone overboard to do the right thing and should be recognized for their efforts.

New York City is taking drastic measures to quell the virus by having a regulation that if an athlete is not inoculated they cannot participate in the team's games in that city. That vaccine mandate has put a cramp on the NBA's Brooklyn Nets franchise. Like many franchises in the league they have had numerous players that have caught the virus and they are shorthanded in having enough players to play their games. With a COVID-19 outbreak leading to as many as 10 Nets players in the health and safety protocols at one time, Brooklyn had three games postponed last week.

One of the stars 29-year-old Kyrie Irving has refused to be vaccinated and has yet to play a game this season. The lack of healthy players situation has now caused the franchise to permit Irving to rejoin the team and play only in their away games. The Nets are not on the road until Jan. 12 at Chicago and he cannot play in Toronto that also have regulations against those that are unvaccinated.

With New York City mandating that players get vaccinated to play at Barclays Center, the Nets in October decided against having Irving be with the team for road games and practices as well.

Nets stars Kevin Durant and James Harden support the return of Irving. Both agree that Irving is one of the best players in the game and his shooting percentage is quality. A reunion of the BIG THREE (star players) due to their age has a time limit to prove they can win a title. For the past two seasons injuries have plagued the squad and the superstars have played very few games together. The other obstacle is getting Irving into game shape to be productive.

Durant has been quoted as saying, "Have you watched him play?" "He's a master. He can score 60%, 70% of his shots if you don't guard him. He's a high IQ player. It's just a matter of him getting his legs up under him and his wind up under him.

Due to injuries Irving has only played in 83 games during the past two seasons that he has been with the club. He most likely will make his debut, Jan. 5 at Indiana or Jan. 12 against the Chicago Bulls.

Irving has some questionable beliefs. According to Rolling Stone magazine, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and his hesitancy to receive a vaccine against the virus, Irving has shared and interacted with social media posts from a conspiracy theorist on Instagram, claiming that "secret societies are administering vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for a plan of Satan"

It raises an interesting question… since Irving, a seven time NBA All Star has currently missed 33 games of an 82 game regular season will he be paid his full salary. Irving's contract is for $35 MILLION for the season. If he was permitted to be a part time player from the beginning of the season he could only possible play in the 49 games minus their scheduled home games. Currently the squad has a 23-10 record. In addition they Nets are tied with the best record in the East and most certainly will be playoff bound. The question is will Irving's salary be PRORATED for the amount of games he is eligible to play. Stay tuned…

NBA LOST THE PLOT

Watching an NBA game today is painful. The most troubling instance is not calling a traveling rule… OR…. Has it been changed without notice? The most recent flagrant travel NO CALL was earlier this week the Chicago Bulls Zach LaVine came streaking down court and took a pass then TWO GIANT STEPS to dunk the shot WITH TAKING A DRIBBLE.

Yes… I'm old school and have seen the game almost from the beginning. The problem is why isn't a travel violation being called? I discussed this annoyance with a former schoolmate. He's now a lawyer but in high school he was a varsity football and baseball player.

He claims that he now only watches college sports. He commented that in the NBA today a player can take a taxi to the basket and not be called for traveling.

It appears that the league has incorporated the All Star games slam dunk competition and three point competitions into the regular season. To be honest since I lived in areas during the LeBron James era from 2003 to 2015 that I was unable to see how the game changed. After moving to an area where the cable system carried the NBA it was shocking to see the league IGNORING THE TRAVEL RULE VIOLATION. IT'S TIME TO GO FIGURE.

THIS DAY IN THE NBA

December 31, 1954 The Fort Wayne Pistons and the Minneapolis Lakers combined to attempt 127 free throws, the most ever in a regulation NBA game. Minneapolis won 103-91.

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