Thomas Bryant Says He 'Feels Good' After Contracting COVID-19
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After contracting COVID-19 in early July, former Indiana forward Thomas Bryant said he is feeling 100 percent and ready to move forward and practice with his teammates in Orlando.
The Washington Wizards traveled to Orlando on July 7, but Bryant didn’t join the team in the bubble until July 15. Upon his arrival, he had to spend 36 hours in quarantine before he could leave his room and begin practicing.
Bryant was able to practice for the first time last Friday.
“I feel good,” Bryant said in a conference call Sunday night. “Nothing really feels different about me. I feel fine. That's all that really matters right now. Me being sick, that's in the past. My focus right now is just with the team and going forward trying to win some games.”
Former Hoosier Thomas Bryant is in his second season with the Washington Wizards. (Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
In 38 games played this season, Bryant was having a career year by averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 60 percent from the field.
The Wizards are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and are 5.5 games back from the eighth-place Orlando Magic. With only eight games to go before the playoff seeding begins, the Wizards won’t have much room for error if they want to make the cut.
They already will be without their all-star backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. With Bryant back, the 22-year-old will most likely be in the starting lineup for the remaining regular season games.
“I've been working out nonstop, conditioning nonstop by being in the weight room and with the coaches,” Bryant said. “I'm just making sure my body is all right and ready to go as soon as we start playing.”
The Wizards will play an exhibition game this Wednesday, but their first official game back that counts will be against the Phoenix Suns on July 31 at 3 p.m.
Bryant is in his third season in the NBA, and his second with the Wizards after starting his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played two years at Indiana from 2015 to 2017, averaging 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in his college career.
