Irving is refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and as a result, has been barred from playing in the new NBA season. The 29-year-old isn’t allowed to play games in New York because of a citywide vaccine mandate while the Brooklyn Nets took a stand and said Irving wouldn’t be allowed to play away games either if he remained unvaccinated.

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Mayweather issued a video message to Irving on social media, encouraging him to keep standing up for his beliefs.

“You’re a great person, great father, great athlete and you believe what you believe,” Mayweather said.

“I respect you for having some integrity and being your own man. A free mind makes its own choices and a slave mind follows the crowd.

“Stand for something or fall for anything. One man can lead a revolution to stand up and fight for what’s right.

“It’s crazy how people hate you for being a leader. I hope your actions encourage many others to stand up and say ‘enough is enough’. Respect to you Kyrie, and power to the people.”

Mayweather also posted a lengthy caption on Instagram where he hit out at the judgment being directed towards people who are not vaccinated and declaring “I choose liberty, I choose freedom”.

“Choice is defined as an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities. To my understanding, America gave us the choice to take the vaccine or not take the vaccine originally,” Mayweather wrote.

“As time moves on, that choice is gradually being stripped from us. Limiting the jobs we can do, places we can go, and activities we can perform. Trying to beat us into submission of what they say is best for us.

“It’s sad people are hated, punished, teased, and discriminated for not taking the vaccine, for making their own choice, standing up for what they not only think is right, but know is right for them and their families.

Floyd Mayweather has made his position clear. (Photo by Al Bello / Getty Images North America/AFP)

“I am Pro Choice. A person should be free to make the decision best suited for themself. If we can’t make our own decisions we are not truly free. Our forefathers, fought for our freedom as our soldiers, first responders, and patriots continue to do to this day. Why is it when someone decides to do something differently from what we are told, it is right we condemn them? Condemn them for making a choice, choosing to be free, choosing to not conform to the norms society tells us to conform to.

“I’m Pro Choice, we all should have a right to choose what we want, what is best for ourselves, what is best for our loved ones! If you decide to take the vaccine fine. If you decide to not take the vaccine fine. Rather respect should be earned by everyone who makes their own choice and chooses liberty!

“For myself, my children, my loved ones … I choose life, I choose liberty, I choose freedom!”