New York City mayor to lift private sector vaccine mandate that kept Kyrie Irving out of home games

NEW YORK — Welcome home, Kyrie.

The private-sector vaccine mandate that has benched Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving for home games all season will be lifted, sources said.

Mayor Eric Adams plans to lift the mandate in time for opening day at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, a move that will allow New York’s unvaccinated baseball players — superstar slugger Aaron Judge likely among them — to avoid missing home games like Irving did for not getting the shot.

Adams is set to make the announcement on Thursday.

The mayor is expected to end the private-sector vaccine mandate for performers and athletes in local venues, including Barclays Center — home to the Brooklyn Nets — and Citi Field in Queens and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

The mandate had also extended to Madison Square Garden, forcing Irving to miss “road” games there, too.

The decision comes on the heels of Adams’ announcement Tuesday that he plans to lift the mask mandate for toddlers in city daycare centers on April 4.

Adams has urged Irving to get the shot. But he declined to address reports that the point guard has been participating at the Nets facility.

“As we stated, the name of the game is that we’re not going to be heavy-handed with the private sector mandate,” Adams told reporters at an unrelated news conference. “We’re not going to run around the buildings and check vaccine cards.

“If Kyrie Irving is practicing, I’m not at the sports facility. The attorneys can tell us if he can practice or not, if he’s in violation of that or not,” Adams said. “I’ll speak with my attorney to see if it is or isn’t.”

The news comes just as the Nets prepare to embark on another playoff run in pursuit of its first NBA championship.

Adams recently said that there would be no special mandate exemptions for athletes.