Brooklyn Nets Give Unvaxxed Kyrie Irving A Return Date

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is expected to make his season debut Wednesday on the road against the Indiana Pacers, The Athletic's Shams Charania reports.

After missing the Nets’ first 35 games of the season, Irving has targeted Wednesday for his return.

The team announced in mid-December that Irving would be back exclusively for road games as the Nets dealt with a heavy wave of injuries and COVID-related sit-outs due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, leaving the team short on active players, OutKick's Alejandro Avila previously reported.

Earlier in the season, Nets said they weren't comfortable with the guard playing in only half the team’s games due to his vaccination status.

Nets General Manager Sean Marks previously said the team decided Irving may not practice or play with the group until he can be a “full participant," and that decision was made by himself and team governor Joe Tsai.

The 29-year-old was barred from playing home games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn due to New York’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, and because of the Nets' stance, Irving wasn't allowed to play on the road as a “part-time” player.

OutKick's Nick Geddes reported on Wednesday that Irving reported to the team, fresh out of COVID-19 protocols, and talked about the consequences of being unvaccinated.

Follow Meg Turner on Twitter @Megnturner_ and Instagram @Megnturner.

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