Nets should trade Kyrie Irving over vaccine refusal, Shaq says

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The Brooklyn Nets should trade Kyrie Irving for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal said Wednesday.

The former Los Angeles Lakers superstar critiqued Irving over his stance. Irving missed out on attending Nets media day in person on Monday because of his vaccination status. When reporters asked him about it, Irving urged the media to respect his privacy when it came to the jab. 

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Players like Kyrie Irving, who has refused to say if he will be vaccinated against COVID-19, will be subject to testing on all NBA practice, travel and game days this season. Fully vaccinated players will not. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File) ((AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File))

The Nets guard could miss Brooklyn home games at the Barclays Center because of New York City’s vaccine mandate for indoor spaces and the NBA said he and other players could miss pay checks for failing to comply with local coronavirus mandates.

O’Neal appeared on "Tiki and Tierney" and said there’s only one road for the Nets to go down in regard to Irving: trading him away.

"I would go upstairs and say 'get (Kyrie) up out of here. Get him outta here,’" O’Neal said when asked what he’d do if he was Irving’s teammate. "Get ‘em up outta here. We go in with a two-punch and a great shooter and some rebounders like we got. Get his a-- up out here. Everyday, we’re gonna have to answer questions about him and what he’s doing. Get his a-- up outta here."

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Shaq made his assertion on "Tiki and Tierney." (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

O’Neal said he was unsure whether it would happen.

"Of course, if I played with him, I would be in charge all the way all day. Whoever owns the Brooklyn Nets, get him up outta here."

Unable to attend the Brooklyn Nets media day, Kyrie Irving asked for privacy Monday when pressed about his vaccination status and availability for home games. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Irving was a part of the Nets’ major acquisitions prior to the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. He became a bit of a distraction last season when he missed a few games due to personal reasons.

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Regardless, Nets general manager Sean Marks has been adamant about signing Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden to contract extensions. Durant signed his four-year extension in August.