NBA team Brooklyn Nets, on Tuesday, announced that Kyrie Irving will not play for the franchise until he if gets fully vaccinated for COVID-19. The Nets said that Irving would not play or practice with them until he could be a full participant. This also ending the idea that he would only play in road games.

Irving hasn’t said he isn’t vaccinated, asking for privacy when he spoke via Zoom during the team’s media day on September 27, Associated Press reported.

He has also rarely been with the team in New York where there is a mandate, requiring professional athletes playing for a team in the city have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to play or practice in public venues.

“Kyrie’s made it clear that he has a choice in this matter and it’s ultimately going to be up to him what he decides,” general manager Sean Marks said.

“We respect the fact that he has a choice, he can make his own and right now what’s best for the organization is the path that we’re taking,” he added.

Teams aren’t allowed to reveal private details of players’ health. However, Marks said: “If he was vaccinated, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I think that’s probably pretty clear.”

Marks said that he and owner Joe Tsai made the decision together and added that it came through discussions with Irving and his associates.

“Kyrie loves to play basketball, wants to be out there, wants to be participating with his teammates,” Marks said.

“But again, this is a choice that Kyrie had and he was well aware of that.”

Until Friday, Irving wasn’t even eligible to practice with his team in New York.

Coach Steve Nash had said that the Nets knew they were going to be missing Irving for some games. For now, at least, it will be all of them.

With Kevin Durant, James Harden and Irving, the Nets were considered a favorite to win the NBA title.

Last season, they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of last season’s playoffs after Irving sprained his ankle, prompting him to miss the final three games.

Marks said that he can’t predict how long Irving would be away from the team.

“The hope is that we have Kyrie back,” Marks said.

“We’ll welcome him back in open arms under a different set of circumstances and so we need to wait and see how that transpires. But in the meantime, we need to focus on the 16 players that are going to be on this roster moving forward with us,” he added.