Nets bring Kyrie Irving show to Warriors home, thanks to reckless exemption
There were only traces of commotion from the crowd when Kyrie Irving took court against the Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday night, and maybe that was understandable. He was the only trace of fame on the fractured and wildly underwhelming Brooklyn Nets, and whatever people might think of him, he’s a spectacle unto himself.
Irving is unvaccinated, cleared to play only in Nets road games due to strict pandemic requirements established in New York. He thought he was hitting a roadblock at Chase Center, thanks to the mandate from the San Francisco Department of Public Health requiring all players and spectators to show proof of up-to-date vaccinations and a booster shot, but an exception was made for visiting players.
Not the warriors. Not Andre Wiggins, who struggled to get his shots before realizing it was the only way he could play at home. Only for visiting players, who don’t have to worry.
It was refreshing, and absolutely necessary, to hear official outrage over this. San Francisco Supervisor
Matt Haney told The Chronicle: ‘We have a standard and it should apply to everyone. … I think it sends the wrong message, and it puts (Irving) and the people around him at risk. … A lot of San Franciscans will tune in, watch Kyrie and be confused and rightly upset. They are asked to play by one set of rules and he plays by another.
For the Nets, Sunday night marked their 120th game since James Harden was acquired commercially and a formidable Big Three was created. Unfortunately, this only exists in theory. Harden, Irving and Kevin Durant (who would be out another month with a sprained knee) have played together just 16 times, going 13-3 in those fleeting previews.
Harden, who missed Saturday’s game with an outstretched right hand, is eligible to exercise a player option and become a free agent next season, sparking rumors he could be traded before the Feb. 10 deadline, but ignore all of this. The Nets need to go all the way, hoping they’ll all be healthy (and Irving is fully vaccinated) when the playoffs begin.
“We’re so good,” Harden said of the Nets’ title shot. “We just don’t have enough.”
He surpassed them all
Tom Brady wouldn’t make the 3-point list of favorite quarterbacks to watch over the years, a matter of style, panache and raw talent. It’s reserved for Joe Montana, Kenny Stabler, Joe Namath, Sonny Jurgensen, Don Meredith, Joe Kapp, Bobby Layne and Johnny Unita. But when Brady retires, with a truly astounding career in his wake, there’s no question he’s the greatest of all time by any reasonable measure. If this season was indeed his last, he’ll know that even in the end, with 329 passing yards and a stirring comeback in the Bucs’ 30-27 loss to the Rams, he had some vintage moments. … The Rams had far too much history to leave Los Angeles with a clear conscience. When they bailed out in Anaheim in 1980, it might as well have been Omaha, Neb., for a disgusted fanbase — and the St. Louis years were particularly repulsive to those who had followed the team since it was moved west from Cleveland in 1946. The result is an inevitably mixed crowd at SoFi Stadium, where the 49ers will receive a ton of support on Sunday. … Another huge mistake was bringing in the Chargers as roommates instead of the Raiders. Countless San Diego fans would never come to terms with that decision, and the Raiders had a passionate and loyal fanbase during their years in Los Angeles (1982-94). … Followed by
rock Hartlaubcompelling piece on the 49ers-Rams rivalry, in which he mentions the 24-24 tie at the LA Coliseum in 1954. The 49ers had their famous “Million Dollar Backfield” that year, with the quarterback Y.A. title and three running backs who scored touchdowns in that game: Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson. The Rams responded with Norm Van Brocklin throw at Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch and handed over to younger tank or “Deacon” Dan Towler. When the teams played at Kezar Stadium that year, in front of 48,890 fans in the Haight, the Rams won 42-34.
I couldn’t agree more with a colleague Scott Ostler, who is dreading the prospect of overtime on Sunday — these silly rules could ruin everything — and has a few suggestions in mind. The view from here: If the team in first possession scores a touchdown, the opponent has a chance to call it. If so, proceed to sudden death. It is so obvious; all other sports allow fair competition in overtime. But remember, the NFL wants the fastest overtime possible, to preserve the networks’ prime-time programming. Fairness in a football match is not a priority. … The Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga entered the NBA “dunk of the year” discussion (not an official award, just a bar discussion) with his fierce knockdown over Dallas Josh Green Tuesday evening. He’s up there with Anthony Edwards (on Yuta Watanabe), Jalen Smith (mason plumlee), Russell Westbrook (Rudy Gobert) and, not to forget, Juan Toscano Anderson on mind block JaVale McGee in the Warriors-Phoenix game on December 3.
Bruce Jenkins writes the 3-Dot Lounge column for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]: @Bruce_Jenkins1