Nets' Durant, Irving enter COVID-19 health and safety protocols

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Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have entered into the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, multiple media outlets reported on Saturday.

Durant has been putting together an MVP-calibre season, averaging 29.7 points per game and shooting 52.3% from the field for the Eastern Conference-leading Nets.

Durant scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Thursday's 114-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in a game for which the team was without seven players due to the health and safety protocols.

Seven-time All-Star Irving has not suited up for the team yet this season because he refuses to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which is required to enter the Nets' Barclays Center.

On Friday, the team said it would welcome back Irving for games and practices in which he is eligible.

The NBA, NFL and NHL have all seen games postponed due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

The NBA rolled out tighter COVID-19 protocols amid a sudden wave of COVID-19 cases and, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Friday, will increase testing from Dec. 26-Jan.8 and return to mask usage in many situations until agreed otherwise by the league and union representing its players.