The Return of Kyrie Irving: "Stand for Something or Fall for Anything"

A wise man by the name of Malcolm X once stated, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." Kyrie Irving has done exactly that, and he deserves recognition for standing up for what he believes in. As we all know, there were a plethora of vaccine mandates implemented around the country. The state of New York mandated that professional athletes playing for a team, must be vaccinated in order to practice or play in public vaccines. Kyrie chose not to get the vaccine for personal reasons. Although he didn't receive the vaccine, it was still possible for him to play in other states that didn't require the vaccine. The Nets put an end to that thought once they announced that, Kyrie would not be able to play or practice with the team in any capacity, until he became a "full participant". Due to the mandate, Kyrie has missed the entire season thus far. The decision to not be vaccinated resulted in Kyrie being dragged by the media on the daily, creating narratives around Kyrie, calling him "selfish", "cancerous", and other degrading things of that nature. In reality, Kyrie was keen on sticking to his principles and standing up for what he believed in, no matter the consequences. Everything changed once the Omicron variant started knocking down players left and right, causing rosters to be depleted throughout the NBA. Due to these depleted rosters, there were a plethora of 10-day contracts being given and players were receiving more opportunities. The Nets decided to recant their statement of Kyrie not being able to be a "Part-Time Player" and now one of the most talented players to ever step foot on the hardwood, is returning tonight (January 5) against the Indiana Pacers.

The seven-time All-Star hasn't played since Game 4 of the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks last year, where he went down with a gruesome ankle injury. Irving was having one of the best seasons of his career, as he joined the 50-40-90 club. He became only the 9th player in history to accomplish this feat, finishing the season shooting 50.6 percent overall, 40.2 percent from 3-Point Range, and 92.2 percent from the free throw line. Make no mistake about it Kyrie Irving, may very well be the most "skilled" player to ever play the point guard position. He has arguably the most elite handles in the history of the sport, he can shoot the lights out, and he is clutch when the chips are on the line. Have we all forgot that he hit "the shot" over Stephen Curry in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals to secure Cleveland their first championship in Franchise history. Pair all of Kyrie's abilities alongside Kevin Durant and James Harden, and you have all of the ingredients you need for a championship.

From Brooklyn's perspective, it seems as if management chose Kyrie's talent over the narrative that has been built around him. The Nets have lost 3 games in a row and they needed to make a pivotal move. The move was to allow Kyrie to play, despite the fact that Kyrie still never got the vaccine. Nonetheless, Kyrie has always just wanted to simply play basketball. After having his first practice with the team recently, he spoke to the media for the first time since October 13. Irving stated, " I am just looking forward to that first game, whether it be kind of [January 5] or somewhere after that, however I can get back in shape at an optimum level and be productive, that is what I am aiming on." He goes on to speak about wanting to capitalize on the Big Three's championship window while the iron is hot. Even if it is only for a limited amount of time, the Nets franchise, the fans, Durant, Harden, and the basketball world in general is happy to have Kyrie back on the court again. Get ready ladies and gentleman because Kyrie is about to put on a show tonight!