Could Kyrie Irving simply be playing everyone in order to get an extra month of paid vacation?

Teammate Kevin Durant says he believes that Kyrie Irving will be a part of this year's Brooklyn Nets team.

"I'm envisioning Kyrie being a part of our team. Maybe I'm just naïve, but that's just how I feel. But everybody here has that confidence in themselves and our group, that if we keep doing it we can do something special.”

Kyrie Irving for his part has never confirmed that he's not vaccinated. He's refused to answer whether he's vaccinated or plans to get vaccinated. With most people the assumption would be correct that that means the person is anti-vax or not yet vaccinated. But Flat Earth Irving isn't most people.

Prior to last season he announced that he wouldn't speak to the media. That declaration lasted as long as it took the NBA to remind him and his agent that part of your NBA contract requires players to speak to the media. So then Kyrie complied.

The NBA and its players association came to an agreement this week that will cause players to lose significant pay for every game missed for COVID reasons. Kyrie stands to lose over $15 million if he's not vaccinated and thus can't play in Nets home games. But this penalty doesn't start until the regular season begins in two weeks.

Don't be surprised if all of a sudden it's announced that the man who loves to play contrarian roles and take hiatuses from his team is vaccinated and in the Nets line-up opening night. If not then then shortly after. Like I said, for all we know Kyrie could have been vaccinated months ago.

What we do know is that Kyrie Irving got an extra month off this offseason. And as long as he's in the line-up on November 3rd, Irving will make his full max contract. This wouldn't be the first time that Kyrie Irving played the media. Late last May he caused a huge stir by insinuating that the Boston Celtics crowd was racist.

This came after Irving previously had said he never had experienced or witnessed any racism in Boston. But he got the Boston and national media in a frenzy with many white reporters taking his side just to make sure they weren't accused of being racists.

In the end the main story of his return to Boston wasn't about the former player returning as a villain like with past Boston athletes Ray Allen, Johnny Damon, and Roger Clemens, but about a discussion on racism and how Boston could do better. Kyrie played the media (and many fans) rather masterfully. Is he again?