The article argues that Dallas Mavericks player Kyrie Irving has received a belated media apology for his decision not to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which reportedly cost him millions of dollars in earnings. It presents ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith’s comments as unusual accountability and suggests other athletes from the pandemic period should receive similar apologies.

The supplied text does not name the four other athletes, because it ends before that part of the article. Its central contention is that media criticism of athletes who declined vaccination was excessive or unfair, framing Irving’s case as evidence for reassessing those judgements.