‘Free me’: Nets star Kevin Durant blasts NBA amid COVID-19 protocol confusion in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant expressed his frustrations on Twitter after being removed from Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to NBA health and safety protocols.
Durant was held out to start the game because someone he interacted with earlier in the day returned an inconclusive test result for COVID-19. Durant entered the game late in the first quarter after being cleared to play, but he was removed in the third period when that person tested positive for the virus.
A short time later, the 10-time All-Star and former MVP turned up on social media.
“Free me,” Durant tweeted.
The NBA released a statement to clear up confusion about Durant’s status. The league said Durant had to leave the game due to contact tracing despite testing negative three times over the previous 24 hours, including two negative PCR tests on Friday.
“Someone (Durant) interacted with this afternoon subsequently had an inconclusive test result return shortly before the game,” the league said. “Durant was initially held out of the game while that result was being reviewed. Under the league’s health and safety protocols, we do not require a player to be quarantined until a close contact has a confirmed positive test.
“During the game, a positive result was returned for the person Durant interacted with this afternoon. Once that test was confirmed positive, 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 to the positive individual.”
Durant later retweeted a post from a Twitter user who criticized the use of the phrase “out of an abundance of caution.”
“Yo @nba, your fans aren’t dumb!!!!,” Durant tweeted. “You can’t fool em with your Wack ass PR tactics. #FREE7”
