“Kyrie Irving is not the modern-day Muhammad Ali,” Reid said. “He is a famous person, using his famous person platform, to put others at risk of a deadly airborne disease, that has wreaked havoc on the human race and disproportionately on people who look like Kyrie Irving.”

The Nets announced earlier this week that Irving will not play or practice with the team at all until he complies with New York City’s vaccine mandate. As such, he stands to forfeit tens of millions of dollars, and a possibility of winning an NBA championship with a team thought to be a strong contender. But Reid argues that’s nothing compared to what Ali gave up, and the cause for which he sacrificed.

“Kyrie Irving is the literal opposite of Muhammad Ali,” Reid said. “He is a person who once said the world is flat. And who is now being used as a pawn for the alt-Right and MAGA army. Like Ted Cruz — who’s praising him for his incredible courage, but who called Colin Kaepernick a “rich spoiled athlete” for taking a knee against police killing people who look like Kyrie Irving.”