Kyrie Irving has responded to some startling claims involving Dr. Jay Varma, New York City’s former COVID-19 Czar.
During the pandemic, fans will remember that Irving chose not to get vaccinated, which led to disqualification from home games for the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center due to New York City’s vaccine mandates during the 2021-22 season.
This choice ignited considerable global debate and controversy surrounding vaccination and personal choice.
Recent reports have emerged suggesting that Dr. Varma did not follow the very guidelines he set in place. He was recently let go from his role as executive vice president and chief medical officer at SIGA Technologies due to these breaches.
Varma admitted to hosting two “drug-fueled” gatherings at a hotel in August and November of 2020 and participating in a dance event attended by around 200 people in June 2021.
His confessions were made public after conservative podcaster Steven Crowder released a video.
Varma alleges that this footage was linked to harassment from an operative of an extremist right-wing group aiming to undermine public health officials and dismantle the U.S. public health system.
In the video, he proudly mentions his role in preventing Irving from playing, stating, “This is a fun part of my life… The Wall Street Journal wrote a whole story about me being the one that blocked Kyrie Irving from playing basketball.”
In reaction to the video, Kyrie expressed on X, “GOD is truly the greatest, and the TRUTH is always revealed in the light. I am grateful I am not alone on this mission. ‘Rise up out of the ashes no matter what.’”
Kyrie’s supporters have voiced strong opinions on the situation across X.
To this day, the sickest part about covering this entire story while I was on the Nets beat was the complete about-face on the hardline vaccine stance once MLB season came around and the Yankees had players who were unvaccinated. https://t.co/XJaRPmMXNq
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) September 25, 2024
@KyrieIrving faced relentless media and fan backlash in 2021-22 for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, missing most of the Nets’ season due to NY’s mandate. Meanwhile, Dr. Jay Varma, who enforced the policy, proudly admits to blocking Kyrie while indulging in drug-fueled… pic.twitter.com/iZGVJUP0ET
— Ham from BK (@Ham_BklynWx) September 25, 2024
Kyrie needs to sue the Nets and the NBA https://t.co/gcUEPa4rpD
— Dr.Darrell Scott (@PastorDScott) September 25, 2024
Not a good look. (Jay Varma was responsible for some of the harshest US Covid restrictions incl vax mandates in NYC. He criticised my work for pointing to harms of mandates). https://t.co/Fp9BI8Mtq3
— Kevin Bardosh (@KevinBardosh) September 19, 2024
Kyrie Irving should have never been forced to take an experimental vaccine to play basketball in NYC. Ownership didn’t have his back 🐑 Fanbase didn’t have his back 🐑 NBA media didn’t have his back 🐑 pic.twitter.com/bUmQe5vgXB
— NetsFrequent 👑 (@NetsFrequent) September 25, 2024
Everybody asking why they owe Kyrie an apology! That’s why. They really did him dirty
— 🏀🌱💙 (@Eunique_ny) September 25, 2024
I haven’t seen the people who were talking down on Kyrie before say anything about this 😭 https://t.co/2jr0ERgwwo pic.twitter.com/UzXhBuGVj1
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) September 25, 2024
Glad the truth is now out but I’ll never forget how the media painted Kyrie Irving as the villain in all of this!! It cost him and his team a ring and blackballed him out of that top 75 spot and tried ending that man’s career!!! https://t.co/qyO6X18pkz pic.twitter.com/OqcNlDBCoR
— chiɔinthegeɘk⨟ (@chicinthegeek) September 25, 2024
Image Source: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock
