NBA
Will Kyrie Irving play for the Brooklyn Nets again?
Kyrie Irving has begun the process to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets this season as a part-time player to participate in games outside of New York.
All-star guard Kyrie Irving has begun the process to rejoin the Brooklyn Nets for the first time this season and will be a part-time player to participate in games held outside of New York, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The date for his first game in the NBA 2021-22 season has yet to be disclosed.
Brooklyn needs players
The Nets initially did not want Irving, who is unvaccinated, to be a part-time player who could only participate in road games.
However, because of injuries and numerous covid-19 cases in the team greatly increasing the workload of star players Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Nets have changed their stance.
Nets Head coach Steve Nash has expressed concern over Durant’s number of minutes played, saying the amount of work he had was “not safe or sustainable.” Harden is in the league’s covid health and safety protocols.
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Covid protocol requirements
Irving has not been willing to comply with a New York City mandate that bans unvaccinated Nets and New York Knicks players from playing in home games. He will have to show five successive negative covid-19 test results before he can play with the team again. The 29-year-old will also have to undergo testing frequently as he has not received the vaccine.
The seven-time NBA All-Star will also not be allowed to join the team for games against the Toronto Raptors in Canada after Jan. 15, as the Canadian government has dictated that travelers cannot enter the country unless they have been vaccinated.
The Nets are currently seeded number one in the Eastern Conference with a 21-8 record. They will host Orlando Magic at home on Saturday.