NBA investigating video of maskless Irving
Video surfaced of Kyrie Irving at a family birthday party without a mask and the NBA reportedly is investigating the time and location of the event with the likelihood of discipline to follow.
An NBA official reached by Field Level Media declined to comment.
Irving has missed three consecutive games for the Brooklyn Nets and remains idle due to personal reasons. He hasn't played since the insurrection at the United States Capitol in Washington last Wednesday.
The Nets are 1-2 without Irving. ESPN and The Athletic reported Irving likely would not be allowed to play until next week, meaning his availability is doubtful for games Wednesday at the New York Knicks and Saturday against the Orlando Magic.
Irving had already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets, the club's 84th match since signing the guard as a free agent in 2019. Irving has played in just 27 of those contests.
Irving underwent shoulder surgery last March and did not return for the team's post-season games in the NBA bubble near Orlando.
He is considered healthy but head coach Steve Nash has indicated multiple times that Irving is not communicating with the team.
On Thursday, the day after the unruly protests in Washington, Nash arrived at Barclays Center and informed media he had “no idea” where Irving was or if he'd play in the game that night against Philadelphia.
WIZARDS CANCEL PRACTICE, PLACE TWO PLAYERS IN PROTOCOL
The Washington Wizards cancelled Tuesday's practice after two players entered the league's COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The team issued a statement saying the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution.”
The Wizards defeated the Phoenix Suns 128-107 on Monday night for their first home win of the season. They are scheduled to host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
The two players were not identified.
Washington played without guard Bradley Beal, the NBA'S leading scorer, in Saturday's contest against the Miami Heat due to the protocols. He scored 34 points in Monday's win over Phoenix.
The NBA'S board of governors was set to meet on Tuesday to discuss the latest pandemic-related issues, including multiple postponements.