Kyrie Irving To Wear Mask For Final Time; Jaylen Brown To Wear Goggles
BOSTON (CBS) -- Kyrie Irving will say goodbye to his protective facial mask for good after the Celtics' game against the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday.
Irving has fully recovered from his facial fracture and successfully avoided setbacks, despite removing the effective but bothersome mask at every opportunity. He told reporters, as expected, that he can't wait to shed the mask permanently.
"I hope not to see it again," Irving said after Friday's shootaround in San Antonio, via the Boston Sports Journal's Brian Robb. "I was hoping not to see it again for my career, but it's part of it."
Jaylen Brown, however, will don his own protective gear as he plays with a pair of goggles for at least the next week. The 21-year-old missed Wednesday's win over the Mavericks with severe inflammation in his right eye, and cannot wear contacts (which caused the inflammation) for the time being.
It feels like the Celtics won't be able to get through a single game without somebody wearing something on their face.