Nets' Kevin Durant: Kyrie Irving 'Frustrated' About Not Being Able to Play Home Games

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving isn't pleased to still be dealing with restrictions heading into the final stretch of the NBA season, teammate Kevin Durant said Monday.

"He's frustrated in not being able to play," Durant told reporters, via ESPN's Nick Friedell. 

Irving is ineligible to play in home games because he has refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine and New York City mandates require it. The Nets have 11 regular-season games remaining after their 37-34 start, seven of them at home.

"He figured this stuff would be rolled back by now, we'd be way past this," Durant said of Irving. "But it's the situation we're in, we got to deal with it, he's got to deal with it. Trusting that it'll get figured out there soon. I have no clue what may happen, but I'm just trusting that things will work itself out. But I'm sure he misses playing in front of a home crowd and the home crowd, vice versa, they miss him. So hopefully we get it figured out soon."

Durant notably called out New York mayor Eric Adams earlier this month after a win over the New York Knicks, where Irving watched from the stands:

The protocols have remained in place, but Irving does not plan on changing his mind about getting the vaccine. 

"I mean, what is it, April almost?" Durant said Monday. "It's pretty obvious that he's not going to take the shot."

Irving has made a significant impact when on the court, scoring 60 in last week's road win over the Orlando Magic after scoring 50 against the Charlotte Hornets. He is averaging 27.7 points per game on the year, including 37.8 points over his last five appearances.

It's a significant reason the Nets are 22-15 on the road this season, but his inability to play at home has the team sitting just 15-19 at the Barclays Center.

If Irving continues to play only part-time, it could prevent Brooklyn from making a run this postseason.