Rumors

A change in the New York City Mayor’s office could pave the way for Kyrie Irving to return to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. Mayor-elect Eric Adams plans to “revisit” the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate rules once he takes office, according to the New York Post. “We need to revisit how we are going to address the vaccine mandates. Now, I stated I did not want to Monday-morning-quarterback the mayor [Bill de Blasio]. This is his time to be the man, he has to make the decisions,” Adams said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” per the Post.

Newark Star-Ledger

He added on CNN’s “New Day” that “I hope the mayor -- and I am encouraging him to do that -- to sit down with unions and come to a resolution. And if he doesn’t, if this is still going to January, I’m going to sit down with them and we’re going to get this resolved.” The Nets last month banned Irving, a West Orange native, from practices and games because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19. The team has said he can only return as a “full participant,” meaning either he gets vaccinated or New York’s regulations change. Irving is projected to lose about half of his $35 million salary this season as a result, but still gets paid for road games.

Newark Star-Ledger

Mayor-elect Eric Adams vowed to “revisit” the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for municipal workers when he takes office and reach a “resolution” on the matter, as he took an election victory lap Wednesday morning. During a series of media appearances the day after he handily beat Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa, the Democrat also repeatedly promised he wouldn’t step on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s toes regarding the controversial jab order. “We need to revisit how we are going to address the vaccine mandates. Now, I stated I did not want to Monday-morning-quarterback the mayor. This is his time to be the man, he has to make the decisions,” Adams said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

New York Post

Tommy Beer: So, less relevant considering the Nets announcement this morning, but I just heard back from an official in Mayor Bill de Blasio's office, and he affirmed that: Kyrie Irving is NOT permitted to play vs. the Knicks at Madison Square Garden unless/until he gets the vaccine.

Twitter

Mayor de Blasio made a public plea Wednesday for Nets’ guard Kyrie Irving to get his COVID shots as the city continues its push for more New Yorkers to get vaccinated. “I’m a fan of Kyrie. I would just appeal to him – get vaccinated,” he said. “Your fans want to see you. We all want you back. Your teammates want you back. Look, there are teams now that are 100% vaccinated. That’s a great example to everybody else.”

New York Daily News

When asked if Irving was letting fans down, de Blasio declined to go there. “It’s not time to say that yet. We have weeks and weeks before the season begins,” he said. “I think his fans are going to say to him, ‘C’mon, join us, help us, let’s keep everyone safe — keep your own family safe, keep your teammates safe, keep your community safe.”

New York Daily News

Bill de Blasio: The @BrooklynNets are the champs in our hearts (and, I got a feeling about this season!) Their commitment to getting New Yorkers vaccinated is an inspiration. Get vaccinated and keep your family safe. It’s a slam dunk:

Twitter

Stefan Bondy: Mayor of Brookhaven (location of Hawks facility), responded to deBlasio calling out Trae Young: “They are big, bad New York, the big, bad Goliath,” John Ernst said. “I’d rather take Trae as David because we know how that story ends.” Officially the lamest back-and-forth ever.

Twitter

New Yorkers who get vaccinated at Madison Square Garden will have a chance to score a free ticket to a Knicks playoff game starting Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. “The New York Knicks are joining us to speed up the vaccinations in the city, to reach more people and keep them safe,” Hizzoner said during his daily virtual press briefing while wearing a blue Knicks cap. “The Knicks are bringing the vaccination effort right there, to the Garden.”

New York Post

More than 160 businesses sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday asking him to take “immediate action” to address quality of life issues in the five boroughs. In the letter, the heads of 163 companies including Mastercard, the WNBA, the NBA, Macy’s, JetBlue, Con Edison, WeWork, Lyft and Warby Parker said they were “employers who are committed to New York City and its re-emergence from the devastating health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

1010wins.radio.com

Knicks big man Taj Gibson and Mayor Bill de Blasio shared a stage in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Saturday in the blazing sun, wearing masks, preaching a theme of Black Lives Matter and about stopping gun violence.

New York Post

Bill De Blasio: We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested. Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick.

Twitter

The Brooklyn Nets called out Mayor de Blasio on Wednesday night after he jokingly criticized the decision to move the franchise to the Big Apple during a recent town hall meeting.

New York Post

Speaking to a man wearing black-and-white Nets jacket, de Blasio said: “I’m from Brooklyn too, but this Brooklyn Nets idea has not been working out as it was planned. So I admire you for sticking with them.”

New York Post