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Just a day after his return to the Brooklyn Nets was announced, the point guard Kyrie Irving He entered this Saturday on the extensive list of team casualties due to the coronavirus, which was also joined by Kevin Durant. Irving, 29, is the highest-profile star in the NBA who has publicly spoken out against getting vaccinated. The Nets entered him on Saturday in the protocol without specifying if it is the procedure planned for his return to the team or if it was for testing positive for covid-19 or being in close contact with an infected person.
According to the chain ESPN, the player will need to test negative for covid-19 for five consecutive days to rejoin training.
The Eastern Conference leading Nets now have nine players on coronavirus prevention protocol, including their three superstars: Irving, Durant and James Harden. Faced with this situation, the franchise backtracked from its position with the controversial Kyrie Irving and on Friday he advanced that will allow him to return to the team.
The All-Star point guard was separated from the squad since the beginning of the season due to his refusal to be vaccinated, which prevents him from playing in home games in Brooklyn for violating the protocols against the New York pandemic. The point guard, winner of the 2016 ring with the Cavaliers, claims to fight for the right of people to decide whether to get vaccinated or not. His position has been applauded by sectors opposed to the mandatory nature of the vaccine, including Republican figures such as Ted Cruz or Donald Trump Jr.
By your side Kevin Durant, top scorer of the season, was scheduled to rest this Saturday against the Orlando Magic due to ankle discomfort, accentuated by the large number of minutes played in recent games. After being entered by the team in the protocol, the forward will now be set aside for an indefinite period of time. To return to the courts, a player entered into the protocol must wait a minimum of 10 days or test negative in two covid-19 tests at least 24 hours apart.
Durant, 33, is one of the early favorites for the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award of the season with an average of 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. In 2020, the forward was one of the first players to report testing positive for COVID-19 just days after the NBA suspended his regular season and last February he was withdrawn in the middle of the game as a preventive measure after having been in close contact with an infected person.
The Nets, leaders of the Eastern Conference, they had just eight players last Tuesday, the minimum allowed by the NBA, in the victory against the Raptors and with nine in Thursday’s victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. Durant has been on the court for up to 48 minutes, starring in heroic performances as the Nets beat their last four games.
The NBA There is a wave of COVID-19 infections that led to two games being suspended this week, for the first time in the campaign. To address this situation, the league agreed on Thursday with the players’ union (NBPA) on an upcoming reinforcement of prevention protocols. The NBA will apply daily tests to all players and staff, with the exception of those who have received the booster vaccine or recently had the disease, between December 26 and January 8. Until now, fully vaccinated players were not regularly tested this season.
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