11:47 PM
The NBA will increase testing and face mask use for players and staff through the holiday season, according to a memo obtained by ESPN.
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association agreed to raise testing for two weeks. The memo said that players and staff will be tested on game days only if they received their booster shot 14 days earlier or recently recovered from the virus.
The players and staff will be required to wear masks on the benches, in the team's workout facilities and while traveling with the team, according to a memo.
In December, 52 players, including Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, and two other coaches, went into health and safety protocols, as well as two other teams, the Nets, Hornets, Bulls, Lakers and Kings.
Twenty-two players entered protocols in a single day.
Several teams began testing everyone after an increase in positive cases, but players who were vaccinated were not required to be tested. The NBA and NBPA are determined to continue the season without interruption, and sources say there's been discussion among teams about finding easier ways to expand rosters.
The Chicago Bulls had two NBA games canceled this week.
This report was contributed to by a person.
