Nets Fined $50K for Kyrie Irving Entering Locker Room at Halftime of Game vs. Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets have been fined $50,000 by the NBA for allowing point guard Kyrie Irving to enter the locker room during halftime of Sunday's win over the New York Knicks, the league announced Monday.

Since he is unvaccinated, Irving being in the locker room violated the league's health and safety protocols as well as local New York City law, per the NBA.

Irving attended Sunday's game as a spectator and sat courtside. The Nets topped the Knicks 110-107 behind a 53-point performance from star forward Kevin Durant.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that while Irving is allowed to enter Barclays Center, he is not allowed to enter the workplace environment and the locker room is considered to be a part of that.

Irving is not allowed to play in home games because he continues to refuse to comply with New York City's private sector vaccine mandate. The city lifted vaccine requirements for indoor public spaces on March 7, but the private sector mandate will remain in place.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a heckler asking him about Irving during a press appearance on Sunday. Adams affirmed his previous declaration that an exception won't be made for one player, responding, "Kyrie can play tomorrow—get vaccinated."

Durant ripped Adams and the city's mandate after Sunday's game, saying: "Just feels like at this point now somebody's trying to make a statement or a point to flex their authority. But everybody's looking for attention, and that's what I felt like the mayor wants right now, some attention."

Durant walked back those comments on Monday in a statement:

While the city's mandates remain in place, Irving is set to miss nine of the 14 games left in the season for Brooklyn. He is set to return to action on Tuesday when the Nets travel to take on the Orlando Magic.