The NBA has come down hard on Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, fining him $50,000 for violating the league’s health and safety protocols.
Irving will forfeit salary for any games missed due to five-day quarantine period. He is eligible to return to Nets team activities on Saturday if he continues to test negative for coronavirus. https://t.co/rnNhgHB8am
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2021
Irving has been a beacon for controversy in recent weeks and was seen on video not wearing a mask at a family member’s birthday party last weekend. In addition, his overall attitude has been called into question after he sat out games because of a lack of motivation.
Those actions by Irving have led some to raise concerns about his well being and come at a time when the Nets are adding James Harden to their lineup.
The NBA’s fine of Irving is a relatively modest penalty, given the fact that he’s being paid $33.46 million for the 2020-21 season. However, his actions may potentially have a damaging effect on the Nets chances of competing for an NBA title.
Prior to these controversies, Irving was averaging 27.1 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals in the seven games that he’s played this season.
