Brooklyn Nets governor Joe Tsai said the decision to bring Kyrie Irving back to the active roster is a basketball-centric move, not a political statement.

Tsai told Brian Lewis of the New York Post the team reached the conclusion that Irving gives it the best chance to win games amid injuries and COVID-19 protocol absences, even though he'll only be eligible to play road games because of his unvaccinated status and New York City's vaccine mandate for large-scale events.

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"We're trying to be practical. And I've always said I don't want to make this a political issue," Tsai said Friday night. "My only religion is to win games and win the championship. That's where we are."

Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement on October 12 saying Irving wouldn't join the team for the 2021-22 NBA season until he was "eligible to be a full participant."