NBA fans crush Adam Silver after Kevin Durant health protocol fiasco
The NBA’s health and safety protocols will be under even more intense scrutiny after a bizarre series of events occurred during Friday’s Raptors-Nets game on Friday, which saw Brooklyn star Kevin Durant held out of the game at the start for contact-tracing reasons, and later enter the game only to be pulled from action in the third quarter.
Durant, who contracted COVID-19 in March, and more recently missed four games this season due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, was held out at the start of Friday’s game. According to ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Durant has tested negative for COVID-19 multiple times in the buildup to the game, but had an interaction with someone on Friday who returned an inconclusive test.
Per NBA spokesperson, Tim Frank: Kevin Durant has tested negative three times in the last 24 hours, including two negative PCR tests today. However, someone he interacted with this afternoon subsequently had an inconclusive test result return shortly before the game.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 6, 2021
Durant watched the start of the game from the bench, but later received clearance to check in and entered during the first quarter with the Nets trailing. According to Andrews, Durant did not undergo any additional tests between being held out and cleared to play, but in the middle of the game, a positive test was returned for the person Durant had contact with and he was then pulled.
NBA: During the game, a positive result was returned for the person Durant interacted this afternoon. Out of an abundance of caution, Durant was removed from the game, and contact tracing is underway to determine if he was in fact a close contact of the positive individual.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 6, 2021
Kevin Durant is out for the remainder of the Nets-Raptors game due to health and safety protocols, @malika_andrews reports.
He left for the locker room during the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/MZpQm0cOOb
— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2021
Per the NBA’s protocol, it is likely that Durant could miss additional time if it is decided that he made close contact with the person in question. He sounded off on Twitter while the Nets were still playing.
Free me
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 6, 2021
NBA fans reacted to the situation on Twitter, with many calling out commissioner Adam Silver.
https://twitter.com/Dallas__Nation/status/1357877400038756354 https://twitter.com/troybwai/status/1357876243023151109
https://twitter.com/UptownDCRich/status/1357878074277322752 https://twitter.com/HoodiePierre/status/1357878646527168514
https://twitter.com/onehundded/status/1357877181108600833 https://twitter.com/TheJManJBT/status/1357878134763188224
https://twitter.com/FourVerts/status/1357876397746884608 https://twitter.com/_kishanmistry/status/1357876415904047109
https://twitter.com/jtylerconway/status/1357877758517538819 https://twitter.com/BiggaBoss_Biggz/status/1357876438393831427
https://twitter.com/netsstan/status/1357878932280922114 https://twitter.com/WinksThinks/status/1357878593607581697
https://twitter.com/keyworldwiide/status/1357879244659912706 https://twitter.com/iam_johnw/status/1357889054319271938
