NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving rejoined the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and said he was partially absent because he “needed a break.”
Irving trained with the team and was able to play in Cleveland on Wednesday. He has missed the past seven games, five when he was not on the team and two more while recovering his physical condition after being eligible to return.
Irving gave no apparent reason for his absence during a Zoom interview, saying he had a lot of family and personal things going on while he needed to pay attention.
Irving was fined $ 50,000 for violating NBA health and safety protocols after being seen indoors at a family party without wearing a mask in a video posted on social media in his absence. He also lost nearly $ 900,000 of his $ 3.5 million salary because two of the games he missed were during a mandatory quarantine period.
Irving said he was happy to be back on the team, which James Harden had taken over in his absence. The Nets have won both games since the transaction.