Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will be allowed to practice with the team in New York City after a ruling that their practice facility doesn’t fall under a New York coronavirus vaccination mandate, according to US media reports. The Nets were told Friday that the training centre is considered a private facility.

However, he still won’t be able to play in Nets’ home games at Barclays Center if he doesn’t meet the city’s vaccine mandate, a City Hall official on Friday, according to Associated Press reports.

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Speaking during the league’s media day last week, Irving refused to disclose his vaccination status, saying he “would like to keep all that private.” Irving attended media day via Zoom due to NBA COVID-19 protocols.

“My first kind of thought is that it’s positive,” coach Steve Nash said. “We have him around the team for a larger period of our season.”

Unless Irving is vaccinated, he would have to miss the Nets’ 41 home games and their two road games against the New York Knicks. The NBA has said he wouldn’t be paid for any of those games.

He practised with the Nets last week when they held training camp in San Diego, but hasn’t been with the team since it returned home.

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Players from visiting teams who compete at the city’s arenas are not included in the local governments’ vaccination mandates.

“I know that I’ll be there every day no matter what and just be present for my teammates as one of the leaders on the team,” Irving added, CNN reported.”I know the focus has to be at an all-time high, no distractions. This is the last thing I wanted to create, was more distractions and more hoopla and more drama around this. I’m doing my best to maintain this with good intentions and a good heart.”

The Nets are scheduled to open the 2021-22 NBA regular season on October 19 in Milwaukee against the Bucks, and the team’s first home game is slated for October 24 against the Charlotte Hornets.

With inputs from the Associated Press