Brooklyn Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant, guard Kyrie Irving and center/forward LaMarcus Aldridge have cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced Tuesday.
Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer, and Aldridge would be eligible to play in Brooklyn’s home game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Irving, however, will not be able to play because he hasn’t met New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for athletes competing in the city’s public venues. The Nets’ next road game will be Jan. 5 against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
Brooklyn recently saw three of its games postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak across its roster. The Nets returned to the court on Christmas Day, posting a 122-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and a 124-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers two days later.
Durant, 33, is averaging 29.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets (23-9).
In his 14th season, Durant is a former league MVP, an 11-time All-Star and a four-time league scoring champion.
Irving, 29, hasn’t played this season due to his strong stance on remaining unvaccinated, which made him unavailable for roughly half the team’s games.
Aldridge, 36, is averaging 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 25 games (eight starts) this season.
–Field Level Media