Kyrie Irving Is No Muhammad Ali: Unchecked

Kyrie Irving is entitled to his personal choice, but he is no martyr.

Let’s be real, Kyrie Irving is no martyr. He finally spoke on his Instagram Live and said a lot of nothing.

Kyrie Irving speaks pic.twitter.com/So7qwh1r2f

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 14, 2021

I don’t even know what his stance or point is, other than that people shouldn’t be forced to do anything they don’t want to. Which I agree with by the way! Kyrie is well within his rights to decide what he puts in his body. But that doesn’t make him Muhammad Ali, a comparison I’ve actually seen.

Folks really out here comparing Kyrie Irving to Muhammad Ali.
Yall must be outside yalls mind pic.twitter.com/eqMmlVb44k

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) October 14, 2021

Ali put his career on the line in his prime to not fight in a war and to protest racism at home. Kyrie is getting paid to stay home by the Brooklyn Nets. 

Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the Brooklyn Nets reportedly won’t offer him a contract extension 😬

(via @ShamsCharania & @BKGlueGuys) pic.twitter.com/3WWghJzR0o

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 13, 2021

Kyrie’s personal choice had professional consequences because the very round earth doesn’t revolve around him, and the Nets had to make their own choice to move on with the likes of Kevin Durant and James Harden and not a part-time player, who has a history of not exactly being the most reliable teammate.

James Harden has not spoken with Kyrie Irving since the decision was made for him to be away from the Nets. pic.twitter.com/hoq2YVVAKc

— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) October 13, 2021

I’d also ask this, what is Kyrie trying to accomplish? Does he plan to do this as a demonstration against all vaccine mandates? Or would he be playing already if he had gotten the exemption he referenced? 

Kyrie Irving says he came into the season believing he was going to be able to play ball.

"Why are you putting it on me?... I'm just a hooper. I'm just a person that's being utilized as an example."

Irving adds that he was promised an exemption.

— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) October 14, 2021

I truly wish the guy the best and I want to see him back on the basketball court...what fan of the game wouldn’t?

However, this entire thing seems a lot more like Kyrie Irving not wanting to do something just because he’s being told to and not for any actual cause.