How does NOT being Vaccinated impact Working Life?

PART OF THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED IN FORBES MAGAZINE

15th October 2021

Kyrie Irving is paid pretty well to play basketball. His contract with the Brooklyn Nets calls for him to make $34.9 million in salary this season, and his celebrity status brings in another $15 million off the court from memorabilia, licensing and endorsement deals with brands like Nike and Panini.

This year, though, he’s made a conscious decision to give up a good chunk of that compensation.

“The financial consequences, I know I do not want to even do that, but it is reality that in order to be in New York City, in order to be on a team, I have to be vaccinated,” the 29-year-old All-Star point guard said Wednesday night on Instagram Live as he ended weeks of speculation about his Covid-19 vaccination status, which had been one of the sport’s worst-kept secrets. “I chose to be unvaccinated, and that was my choice, and I would ask you all to just respect that choice.”