Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will not join team for trip to Memphis due to 'personal reasons'

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Kyrie Irving

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving missed Friday's 122-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers due to 'personal reasons' and is not expected to travel with the team to Memphis for their game Saturday, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

The team confirmed the report shortly after their win at Barclays Center.

“He texted us before the game, but that’s a personal issue for him," teammate Caris LeVert said post-game. 

"We support him. He’s our brother. We went out there, and we competed without him. So, like I said, it was a personal issue for him.”

Their win over Philly came without Kevin Durant as well, with the forward sidelined due to mandatory contact tracing, per the NBA's health and safety protocols.

It's unclear how long Irving will remain out, with the Nets set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Monday.

Irving has enjoyed a stellar start to the 2020-21 season, averaging 27.1 points 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, with the Nets currently holding a 5-4 record, good for seventh in the Eastern Conference.

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Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.