Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets each fined $ 25,000 for refusing to speak to police

New York – Kyrie Irving And the Brooklyn Nets were fined $ 25,000 each for failing to follow the league’s media rules.

“Irving has been fined for refusing to participate in team media availability on several occasions this week,” the NBA said in a statement Thursday.

The NBA is required to make healthy players available to reporters before or after sports and practice. Usually, one day teams are assigned to each player on the list at the start of training camp, as well as the general manager and coach to speak to reporters. This year, the league’s corona virus protocols restrict the number of players allowed into the facility at any given time, and teams are making a few players available each day.

Irving has denied several requests to speak to reporters, including ESPN, since the training camp began on December 1.

Instead of holding a traditional news conference, the police released a brief statement Friday.

“Instead of talking to the media today, I am releasing this report to make sure my message is delivered properly,” Irving said in part. “I’m ready to have fun, compete, perform and win the championship with my teammates and colleagues in the Nets.”

That statement did not meet the league’s media requirements.

Irving, 28, joined the Nets in 2019 on a four-year, 1 141 million contract. The $ 25,000 fine is less than 1% of Irving’s annual salary.

An NBA player must be fined more than $ 50,000, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, for filing a player complaint.

The Nets are scheduled to play a pre-season game against the Washington Wizard on Sunday.