What a wild 24 hours it’s been for Kyrie Irving.
After being told he could return as a part-time player for the Brooklyn Nets due to injuries and players in COVID-19 protocol piling up, he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols himself, the team announced Saturday.
Irving, who’s unvaccinated, could have participated in road games for Brooklyn, but the Nets took a firm stance to not have him play or practice with the team. New York City’s vaccine mandate has kept Irving away from home games.
According to New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield, Irving entered protocol because he either tested positive for COVID-19 or returned an inconclusive test. He would not have gone into protocol simply to just come back to the Nets.
He is expected to practice with the team after he undergoes a series of tests, including testing negative for five straight days before joining the Nets.
The news comes after Kevin Durant entered protocol earlier Saturday morning. There are nine total Nets players in protocol.
The Nets are scheduled to take on the Orlando Magic on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.
