According to sources cited by The Athletic, the star guard is not anti-vaccine, but “he is upset that people are losing their job due to vaccine mandates.”

The report, which was also criticized for reading like a PR job by the Irving camp, added, “To him, this is about a grander fight than the one on the court and Irving is challenging a perceived control of society and people’s livelihood, according to sources with knowledge of Irving’s mindset. It is a decision that he believes he is capable to make given his current life dynamics. ‘Kyrie wants to be a voice for the voiceless,’ one source said.”