Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is one of the better point guards in the NBA right now. Irving is known for his ball-handling skills and is known to razzle-dazzle fans around the league with his control over the ball.

The 30-year-old hooper only ended up playing 29 games for the Brooklyn Nets last season. Irving and the Nets then went on to get swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. However, that is not the reason why Kyrie has been the talk around the league in recent times

NBA fans on Kyrie Irving’s $100 million decision

When the Covid-19 pandemic devastated life around the world, everyone took a hit. Even the league and players had to face the consequences. What Irving has been criticized for is his decision to go unvaccinated since the start of the pandemic. Irving has faced a lot of backlash from fans as well as the Brooklyn Nets front office. Due to city-wide mandates that took place, it became compulsory for everyone to get vaccinated.

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And as it turns out, the seven-time All-Star’s decision cost him a four-year, $100 million extension. Instead, Kyrie chose to opt into the last year of his contract, worth $36.5 million at the start of this season.

Kyrie reportedly said, “I gave up four years, 100-and-something million deciding to be unvaccinated and that was the decision.” Here’s how NBA fans reacted on social media.

https://twitter.com/imdownterrible/status/1574420924773842944?s=20&t=oPGlXNqlCrqGJw64nvi7jA

Even though Irving was fine with turning down a huge contract and payday, it did stir up some controversy. This move ended up being called a ‘Horrendous Business Decision’ by some fans.

Irving has displayed awareness that his personal decision during the pandemic has significantly impacted his career prospects.?

A 7-time all-star, Kyrie averaged 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG in the 29 games he ended up playing in the 2021-2022 NBA season.

Irving’s decision affecting the Nets

Not only can he score off the dribble and at will, but he also excels in finding teammates for easy opportunities on offense. The team could have done a lot of damage with Kyrie being in the rotation this past season.

But his decision has affected both Irving and the Nets this past season. The Brooklyn Nets ended the season as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record to close off the season. Subsequently, they failed to make an impact in the playoffs because the team barely got a chance to play together during the regular season.

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Fans can only imagine how much better they could?ve been if Kyrie would?ve played the entirety of the season for the team.