Getty Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving looks on from the bench during a playoff bout with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Matrix Resurrections is slated to hit theaters in December and Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving just posted a still image of Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus on Instagram. Irving may have just been hyping the upcoming film or lamenting Fishburne’s absence from it.
Or, as ever, the 2016 NBA champion may have been looking to make a statement.
Irving has come under fire for his apparent refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result of that decision, he finds himself on the outside looking in as the Association carries on. And, all the while, his Nets have struggled early despite entering the 2021-22 campaign as title favorites.
In the Matrix series, Morpheus was the leader of a revolution; an icon of freedom and anti-conformity. And Irving has made it clear that he’s not looking to conform to a vaccine mandate, regardless of what the coronavirus data or any politician says.
Irving Spoke Out on IG Live
While the update in question consisted of just a single, captionless picture, Irving has spoken out on the vaccine issue previously via Instagram Live. In doing so, he left little doubt about why he’s willing to sacrifice games and paychecks to keep himself from getting the poke.
For him, it all comes down to freedom; having the ability to make one’s own choice — rightly or wrongly.
“It’s not about the money, baby,” Irving said, as relayed by the New York Post. “It’s about choosing what’s best for you. You think I really want to lose money? You think I really want to give up on my dream to go after a championship? You think I really just want to give up my job? You think I really just want to sit at home and not go after the things with my teammates that I’ve been able to grow with, to learn with? … You think I want to give up my livelihood because of a mandate? Because I don’t have accommodations? Because I’m unvaccinated? Come on.
“I’m not going to be used as a person in this agenda. It’s not about the Nets. It’s not about the organization. It’s not about the NBA. It’s not politics. It’s not any one thing that I’m pinpointing. It’s just about the freedom of what I want to do.”
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Kyrie Continues to Get Support
For obvious reasons — the continued raging of the COVID-19 pandemic being chief among them — people are coming down hard on Kyrie for his decision. However, some have seemingly taken to the baller as a Morpheus-like figure.
“It’s bigger than basketball,” responded former Nets point-man and All-Star Stephon Marbury to Irving’s latest post.
Another comment read, “Legend!!! We rocking with you Kyrie. Life is about choices. America is about freedoms for all! Politicians never cared about any of us! It’s not left vs right. It’s up or down! We breaking the Matrix.”
Meanwhile, another former All-Star floor general, Rod Strickland, chimed in with a series of supportive emojis.
As of this writing, Irving’s post has amassed nearly a half-million likes.
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