As the NBA postpones games with players across the league entering COVID-19 health and safety protocols, two of the biggest names in the game are doing the same.
Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets have entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Shams Charania, a move that comes amid reports of Kyrie finally returning to the court.
Irving was revealed to be lacing up as a part-time player for games outside of New York and Toronto, since he did not satisfy New York City regulations by not getting vaccinated, per ESPN. He was set to play the remaining away games that met such criteria, pending COVID testing.
“We arrived at this decision with the full support of our players and after careful consideration of our current circumstances, including players missing games due to injuries and health and safety protocols,” Nets GM Sean Marks said in a Friday statement.
Kyrie had to show five consecutive days of negative COVID testing to return to the team, which now has nine of its players in the protocols, also including Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge, James Johnson, DeAndre’ Bembry, Jevon Carter, James Harden, and Bruce Brown. Durant previously tested positive for COVID in March 2020, and was placed in seven-day quarantine last season after being deemed a close contact of someone who had tested positive.
See what NBA fans had to say about the almost-return of Kyrie below.
