Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving will rejoin the team as a part-time player following a COVID-19 vaccine holdout, the team announced on Friday.
Why it matters: The NBA is facing a rising number of positive COVID-19 cases with 39 players — roughly 8% of the league's total player roster — in the NBA's Health and Safety Protocols, AP writes.
The NFL has rescheduled three games due to a "substantial increase" in COVID-19 cases and the "highly transmissible" variant, the league announced on Friday.
Why it matters: More than 100 players are on the COVID/Reserve list, per CBS Sports, forcing the league to reschedule games for the first time this season.
COVID continues to rip through professional sports at an alarming rate, prompting leagues around the world to update protocols, limit fan capacity, postpone games and consider temporary shutdowns.
State of play: As of Thursday evening, 60 NHL players had entered protocols in a four-day span and 52 NBA players had entered protocols in December.
Last year's racial reckoning was a moment. The NBA wants it to become a movement.
Driving the news: Steph Curry last week, on behalf of the NBA's Social Justice Coalition, urged fans to contact their senators about passing the Freedom to Vote Act.
