Great thread idea!
This guy is only a pro basketball player, but his example will (maybe?) resonate with some seculars who would never look at the issue from a Catholic perspective, and might inspire others of that sort to resist?
He was willing to give up $200 million to remain unvaccinated.
N.J.’s Kyrie Irving talks COVID-19 vaccine, Nets’ decision to move on without him | How much he stands to lose
Updated: Oct. 14, 2021, 7:04 a.m. | Published: Oct. 14, 2021, 5:00 a.m.
https://www.nj.com/sports/2021/10/njs-kyrie-irving-talks-about-nets-decision-to-move-on-without-him-i-know-the-consequences-of-my-covid-19-vaccine-stance.html Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has not received the COVID-19 vaccine.AP
By
Mike Rosenstein | NJ Advance Media for NJ.comIrving talked about his stance Wednesday on Instagram Live. Among the highlights, per
ESPN:
“I chose to be unvaccinated, and that was my choice, and I would ask you all to just respect that choice. ... You really think I want to lose money? You think I really want to give up on my dream to go after a championship? You think I really just want to give up my job? Think I really just want to sit at home and not go after the things with my teammates that I have been able to grow with, to learn with, to learn that it takes sacrifice in this space. ... You think I want to give up my livelihood because of a mandate, because I don’t have accommodations, because I am unvaccinated? Come on.”
“(Irving) was willing to sacrifice, at the end of the day, $16 million in salary this upcoming year and $186 million as far as an extension that he will not be offered now.”
But Irving tried to make it clear that his
vaccine stance is more than just a business decision.
“This is my life. I get to do whatever I want with this, this is one body that I get here. And you are telling me what to do with my body. ... This has everything to do with what is going on in our world. And I am being grouped into something that is bigger than just the game of basketball. ... It is not about being anti-vax or about being on one side or the other. It is just really about being true to what feels good for me. ... I know the consequences of the decisions that I make with my life.”
Irving had not spoken publicly since Sept. 27, when he attended
Nets’ media day virtually. But on Wednesday the guard made it clear that he’s not walking off into the sunset.
“I am going to just continue to stay in shape, be ready to play, be ready to rock out with my teammates and just be part of this whole thing. This is not a political thing; this is not about the NBA, not about any organization. This is about my life and what I am choosing to do. ... Nobody is hijacking this voice. ... And no, I am not retiring. ... I am not going and leaving this game like this.”
“Given the evolving nature of the situation and after thorough deliberation, we have decided Kyrie Irving will not play or practice with the team until he is eligible to be a full participant. Kyrie has made a personal choice, and we respect his individual right to choose. Currently the choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. It is imperative that we continue to build chemistry as a team and remain true to our long-established values of togetherness and sacrifice. Our championship goals for the season have not changed, and to achieve these goals each member of our organization must pull in the same direction. We are excited for the start of the season and look forward to a successful campaign that will make the borough of Brooklyn proud.”
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