By Tim Stelloh -
NBC News
A group of protesters tried to break into the Barclays Center in New York on Sunday, where the NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets was played, in support of the player Kyrie Irving, who was called off by the Nets for rejecting the vaccine. against COVID-19, local media reported.
Irving's supporters - one of the stars of the league and the most mediatic of those who have refused to be vaccinated - pushed the metal barriers as security guards fought to prevent them from entering the Brooklyn stadium, which closed "briefly "Its doors, according to NBC New York, a subsidiary of our sister network.
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A video posted on social media showed other people wearing T-shirts that read "Stand With Kyrie" and chanting "no more mandate," in reference to New York City's vaccination requirements than playing Basketball breached Regulations require that people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before entering restaurants, gyms and other venues.
It was unclear how many people turned out for Sunday's rally, which was scheduled two hours before the Nets' game against the Charlotte Hornets at 4 p.m.
The videos reveal dozens of supporters outside the stadium and hundreds marching.
Demonstrators protest the vaccination mandate in support of basketball player Kyrie Irving gathered before an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets in New York on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. John Minchillo / AP
A Nets spokesperson reported that the Barclays Center was briefly closed to evict protesters and ensure that only ticketed spectators entered.
The match started on time, according to the spokesperson.
The team's general manager announced this month that Irving would not play or train with the team until “eligible” after injecting the vaccine.
Irving reacted by assuring that he did not want to lose his salary or the opportunity to compete for a championship with his team, but that he was doing "the best" for him by refusing to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
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Speaking on Instagram Live, Irving said that he loved basketball and that he was not going to retire.
“I am doing the best for myself.
I know the consequences here and if that means I'm judged and demonized for it, that's exactly what it is, ”Irving noted.
"That is the role I play, but I never wanted to give up my passion, my love, my dream for this mandate"
