Stephen A. Smith Blasts de Blasio for Commenting on Kyrie Irving: Deal with Your Unvaccinated Cops First

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is demanding New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio to step back in his lane after commenting on Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status.

“Let me get political here for a quick second to Mayor de Blasio in New York City,” Smith began to rant on ESPN’s First Take.

“Before you go in front of the microphone and call out Kyrie Irving for not being vaccinated, could you deal with the police officers in New York that ain’t vaccinated?” the sportscaster blasted. “Because he has dominion over them. The police department answers to the mayor. How are you gonna sit up there and have unvaccinated cops, but you’ll talk about an NBA player?”

Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status has been a polarizing topic this week, with the Brooklyn Nets star refusing the jab, a decision that will bar him from entering the team’s home arena due to New York City’s Covid protocols. Irving’s vaccine status caused the mayor to weigh in and implore the NBA superstar to “get vaccinated.”

The NBA is getting publicly chastised for having a 95 percent vaccination rate, while the NYPD shows significantly more reluctance to the jab, boasting a dangerously low rate of 64 percent.

“Mind your business,” Smith told de Blasio. “The NBA can handle that situation, you don’t need the mayor of New York or any other city for that matter, talking about an NBA player when you got cops that ain’t vaccinated.”

The NBA and NYPD are both strong unions with resistance to a vaccine mandate. Just as Irving will be unable to enter the Barclays Center for games without getting the jab, unvaccinated cops are restricted from entering restaurants and other indoor settings, according to New York City’s vaccine mandate.

Watch above via ESPN

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