Three NBA players had been known to test positive for the coronavirus – Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and Pistons big Christian Wood.
The number of known NBA cases has now more than doubled.
Brooklyn Nets:
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Sources: Brooklyn tested the team upon returning from San Francisco and results came back today. Nets paid out of pocket to a private company to conduct tests. One player awoke with some aches today; rest have experienced no symptoms.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 17, 2020
Gobert has been treated as the root of coronavirus in the NBA. That was always unfair, and this is even more evidence. The Nets weren’t among Utah’s recent opponents. The Nets weren’t even among Utah’s recent opponents’ post-Jazz recent opponents.
The Nets played the Lakers on Tuesday, one day before the league shut down, and now the Lakers will make sure their players are tested.
Sources: Lakers just had conference call with players and will be tested tomorrow for Coronavirus and will have 14 day self-quarantine.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) March 17, 2020
The NBA isn’t returning soon, anyway. But this ought to be yet another signal for the NBA to take caution as it considers resuming play without fans present. It’s just too difficult to keep players – especially considering their travel schedule – from contracting the coronavirus. If even one player gets it, it could spread quickly through the league.
To some degree, the NBA exists in a bubble. The coronavirus does not. It is spreading quickly, and we should all take the threat seriously and do our part to flatten the curve.
Hopefully, these four Nets and anyone who came into contact with them are OK.