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Kyrie Irving’s mysterious hiatus has caught the attention of the NBA.
For the past week, Irving has not reported to the Brooklyn Nets due to “personal reasons” and it’s currently unclear when he’s going to return.
Kyrie Irving (personal reasons) is listed as out against Denver on Tuesday. It will be the fourth game he has missed.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 11, 2021
Steve Nash says there is no update on Kyrie Irving's status.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 11, 2021
After missing three games, a video of a maskless Irving at what appeared to be his sister’s birthday party surfaced online.
Videos have surfaced of Kyrie Irving at a large birthday gathering alongside his sister, Asia.
Kyrie’s sister & dad have birthdays this week.
Given the size of the gathering & now public nature of it, Kyrie might now have to undergo a quarantine period before returning. https://t.co/McrYtFH9XK pic.twitter.com/U4T1KAvMTl
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) January 12, 2021
Well, this is unfortunate. Here’s another video of Kyrie Irving at a birthday party with his sister, Asia Irving. pic.twitter.com/zTPbf5ZIxU
— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) January 12, 2021
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is now looking into the videos of Kyrie partying to see if he broke Covid-19 protocol and may force him to quarantine before he returns to the courty.
Sources with @Malika_Andrews: As the NBA is expected to begin examining online videos circulating of a maskless Kyrie Irving at a family birthday party, there’s no belief that he will return to the Brooklyn Nets lineup this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2021
Irving has missed four consecutive games for personal reasons, been ruled out tonight vs. Denver and sources expect him to continue to be sidelined at least through Wednesday (Knicks) and Saturday (Orlando) games. https://t.co/cPemTB0eHi
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2021
Via ESPN
In the videos — which began being widely shared on Monday night — a smiling Irving is dancing with his sister, Asia, on a confetti covered floor and clapping as she blows out candles. If the video is found to be recent, it could be a breach of the league’s coronavirus protocols.
The league’s COVID-19 guidelines forbid players from going to clubs, bars and lounges. They also ban attending social gatherings of more than 15 people.
This investigation comes during a turbulent week, as the league is re-evaluating its coronavirus health and safety rules. The league has canceled three games this week as positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing quarantines mounted.