kyrie irving
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie won’t get the shot, so he can’t take shots for the Nets at home.

The Kyrie Irving Saga continues.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will miss the Nets preseason home-opener against the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks due to New York City’s vaccination requirements.

Irving’s vaccination status, which was something he told reporters was a private matter, had been the worst-kept secret in the league up until now.

Even though it’s only a preseason game, his ineligibility to play Friday answers that question definitively.

Although Irving’s status for regular-season home games is still in the air, his teammates are still confident in him being a part of the team this season. Irving was present on the bench for Brooklyn’s first preseason game Sunday against the Lakers, a game that saw Kevin Durant and James Harden also sit out.

Justin Thomas is a graduate of Temple University. While there, he was an on-air sports talk host for W.H.I.P as well as sports reporter for the Temple yearbook. Over the past few years, Justin has written for a few publications including Sports Illustrated. On top of writing for ESNY, Justin is also a Senior Writer for NetsRepublic.com and has had work featured on Bleacher Report.