Nets star Kyrie Irving has been fined $50K for violating the NBA’s protocols related to the coronavirus, the league announced today in a press release.
According to the announcement, the violation occurred when Irving attended a private indoor party last weekend. Presumably, this was the event – believed to be a family birthday party – captured on the video that surfaced online earlier this week. The league’s protocols prohibit players from attending indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people and from entering bars, lounges, or clubs.
While $50K isn’t a substantial loss for a player earning $33.46MM this season, the NBA also announced that Irving has been subject to a five-day quarantine period this week for his protocol violation, making him eligible to rejoin the Nets on Saturday, assuming he doesn’t record a positive COVID-19 test. He’ll forfeit salary for the games he missed during that quarantine period, according to the league.
Since the Nets’ Tuesday and Wednesday games happened during his quarantine period, Irving will be docked two game checks, Shams Charania of The Athletic confirms (Twitter link). As recently reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), each game missed due to a COVID-19 protocol violation costs a player 1/81.6th of his salary.
In Irving’s case, the result is about $410K per game in forfeited salary. Taking into account his fine and the two games he missed this week, Irving’s violation will cost him a total of approximately $870K.
Prior to this protocol violation, Irving had been away from the Nets for personal reasons, but it sounds like his leave is coming to an end. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Irving is expected to play for Brooklyn on Saturday as long as he’s cleared.
Comment section here just had their weekend’s made. Yayyy punishment
Shame it got derailed by someone bringing up the most racist sports talking head in America, smh
Kyrie should just retire though, he has pretty much never looked like he actually wanted to be playing basketball tbh and he has a ring, 100 million dollars and is under 30. Why is he wasting everyones time with his by dragging it out?
Guarantee if he wasn’t rich already he’d never miss games.. real easy not to care
When you have become rich from the game of
This guy is so unlikeable.
He’s certainly become that. Also, I’m doubtful Nets can win a championship, but even if they do no one (save for Nets fans) will care for them.
So you’re saying 9nly the people that care for the Nets will be happy if they win a title? Who would have thought.
He’ll be retired before the end of the season… and no one will miss him.
Is that right? You let media think for you all the way huh. You hang out with him?
Chill McFly – I think he’s basing it off his past actions and behavior. But you go on and keep being a little fan boy and root for your guy!
Colin Cowherd made a great point the other day that I think needs to be said: Bron was able to deal with Kyrie for 3 years… KD couldn’t deal with him for 3 weeks
How do you figure??
KD didn’t walk away, Kyrie did!
I fail to see the ‘great point’ and it is also based on the odd, unprovable premise that KD ‘couldn’t deal with’ (whatever that means) Kyrie for three weeks.
Also, just imo, but Colin Cowherd and ‘great point’ don’t belong in the same sentence. He’s a carnival barker.
Absolutely right; Cowherd is a click bait jerk.
Cowherd is a sellout….listening to anything he has to say about hoops would be the equivalent of listening to Charles Barkley provide MLB analysis
Thank you!! Dont bring that imbeciles name in here, he knows literally nothing about the game and is also extremely racist (google “colin cowherd racism” if you dont agree with me).
Colin is a genius and great
Sports commentator! How dare
You! Kyrie is a “hat backwards” type of player so this incident should not be a shock.
Your first mistake is listening to Colin Cowherd.
He makes an interesting point. I wonder how optimistic fans in Brooklyn are now since the trade. Obviously their big 3 of KD, Harden, and Kyrie pale in comparison to the big 4 of Curry, KD, Klay, and Green that enjoyed so much success in Golden State.
Shaq said it best: KD went from the Splash Brothers to the Dribble Brothers.
KD and Harden can probably actually work together, it’s Kyrie who needs to be shipped out for a team-first, Curry-disciple “chips over stats” style player.
Speaking as a Nets fan, this is like that meme with the dog in the middle of a burning room saying “This is fine.”
NARRATOR: “It was not, in fact, fine.”
Most I’ve laughed in a while!!!
I am a Net fan (since 1975) and I am willing to give the trade a chance. I hate giving up young talent but I am not sure Levert and Allen were ever going to bring us a championship. Also I feel Kyrie will be less inclined to act up with both KD and Harden on the team. I am a big fan of TLC and think he can play a role. They need to sign a defensive big men of bourse.
I heard that too, but totally different scenarios….Kyrie certainly didn’t act this much early on in his career before he was established
Colin Coward has never once made a great point, and his style of talking idiot head “journalism” needs to be flung into the sun.
KD has literally played MVP-level basketball since Kyrie left, and only a parasite, fraud like Coward would say otherwise.
Colin is weak, sorry but he’s not truthful. He’s got a bad history to me. He literally makes stuff up for ratings. KD and Kyrie had a pow wow about coming to Nets. They planned it. This is their way to make their mark on history. Get away from under Brons shadow. Winning in front of biggest media and trying to win over NYC. All three air heads want to win. Only winning is more than just getting three max players together. This is their version of Bron going to Heat. The decision in the back rooms. It’s comical how Bron is in their head. Specially after winning in LA. Trust me, both of them had to sign off on Harden. Like I said it when reports came out KD was recruiting Harden. Be careful of what you wish for.
I don’t even hate him, he’s an elite player with bad social skills and below average real-world intelligence.
After a ring, 2x All-NBA team, and getting paid over $100M so far, it’s just really obvious that he has nothing left to do and is done with basketball – he’s the most checked-out pro athlete in America by far. He needs to just walk away and go do something else with his life.
Do I find myself agreeing with marty. ..
If checking out is wrong then I don’t want to be right.
“Bad social skills” as if you know Kyrie. Judging a person’s intelligence by mandatory media soundbites. “The most checked out pro-athlete” what are you, a specialist?
Idiot
Now, with these fines, etc… Kyrie is gonna portray himself as the victim
The earth is flat.
This really shows how weak and scared league management is. They chose to fine him $50k due to the fact that is the most they can without an appeal. Imagine thinking you would lose an appeal in this case. Irving should be suspended at least 5 games on top of everything else. Silver lied when he said the punishments would get more severe as the season went on.
He should just retire and sail the world ….until he falls off ofc
Touché
800,00 grand is making a point. There isn’t a player who’s going to be ok with losing gm checks. Those add up. Real fines has always worked in pro sports. Kyrie is all about attention. Don’t you know this by now. He knew Harden was coming. So this is his way of staying in spotlight. Taking some away from Harden. Kyrie is from NJ just over the Hudson River. He knows NYC and the media. He’s here for adulation. And witnesses to him showing up Bron. All he wants is to be Bron lol. “Why can’t I have my team”
The big Three …….. or more like
“The Three Dysfunctional”
I’m downgrading Kyrie to Assistant Collaborative Coach until he takes things more seriously.
yup
Wow. Taking personal time doesn’t show he’s taking things seriously? This is interesting. Who are you?
Hey fan boy – yes, it shows he doesn’t take his profession, team or teammates seriously…but we’ve been through this already. Some people just don’t get it…SMH
people can need mental breaks sometimes, but how many times a year does this happen? if most guys did this they would be cut. Kyrie’s lucky to be in a position where he’s safe for now, but how can you not feel let down if you are one of his teammates?
$900,000 for a birthday party. Damn