NBA
Kevin Durant Among Four Brooklyn Nets Players to Test Positive for Coronavirus
Mike Thomas spent 23 years on staff and 16 years as the sports editor at The Herald News in Fall River, Mass., before joining Sportscasting in 2020. Mike has a deep knowledge of and passion for the NFL and NBA, and he excels at interviewing sports celebrities to find out their Super Bowl picks. A New England Newspaper and Press Association award-winning columnist and an avid sports memorabilia collector, Mike enjoys keeping up with all the sports news and the works of former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly. You can find more of Mike's work on Muck Rack.
Get to know Mike Thomas betterPublished17 Mar 2020
The Brooklyn Nets have announced that four players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). According to the report, only one of the players is showing any symptoms of the virus.
The four players join two Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, and Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood as being known to have the virus. The Brooklyn players were tested by a private company after they had returned from San Francisco. The results of the tests came back Tuesday.
All Nets players in isolation
According to the statement released by the Brooklyn Nets, Durant and the three other unidentified players are isolated and are getting treatment from team doctors.
Brooklyn Nets statement
“All players and members of the Nets travel party are being asked to remain isolated, closely monitor their health and maintain constant communication with team medical staff. The health of our players and staff is of the highest priority to the organization and the team is doing everything within its power to ensure that those affected receive the best care possible.”
The Nets had just begun a West Coast trip, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, March 10. On Wednesday, March 11, the NBA released a statement saying the remainder of the season was suspended until further notice after it was announced that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the virus.
Kevin Durant not showing any signs of the coronavirus
The Brooklyn Nets signed Kevin Durant as a free agent in the offseason, along with Kyrie Irving. The two are expected to be one of the league’s top tandems, but both are currently injured.
Durant, who was already out for the season with an Achilles injury suffered when he was a member of the Golden State Warriors, is one of the players not showing any symptoms of the virus, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic.
Kevin Durant
“Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this.”
Irving had also been shut down for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. Both are expected back next year.
What’s next for the NBA?
Right before tipoff of the Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder game last Wednesday night, the NBA announced the remainder of the regular season was being canceled after it was found that Utah’s Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The league did not specify a date to return, but owners had asked NBA Commissioner to revisit the situation after 30 days.
Adam Silver
“Even if we’re out for a month, if we’re out for six weeks, we can still restart the season. It might mean the Finals take place in July or late July. Just my feeling was it was way premature to suggest we had lost the season.”
With the report of four new players testing positive for the virus, the return of the NBA this season doesn’t seem overly optimistic.
