Report: 16 NBA Players Test Positive for Coronavirus
On Friday morning, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced the results of coronavirus testing conducted on June 23 on 302 of the league's players. Of that group, 16 have tested positive — a 5.3% rate.
According to the statement, any player who tested positive will self-isolate until "he satisfies public health protocols for discontinuing isolation and has been cleared by a physician."
The general rule of thumb is that a person who contracts the virus must self-quarantine for 14 days, meaning these players could have to remain in isolation until July 7. Fortunately, that's the day many NBA teams begin traveling to Orlando, Florida, so few players — if any — will have to go alone. Training camps start on July 11.
The names of the players who have tested positive have not been released at this time, though, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, Nikola Jokic, Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker and Malcolm Brogdon all had positive tests this week.
The league is hoping to avoid having any additional players test positive for the coronavirus once the season resumes on July 30. Still, there are protocols in place if it happens. Players will be able to self-isolate in hotels and will not be permitted to be with the rest of their team until the quarantine period has expired.
When the action does resume, teams will play eight regular-season games to finalize playoff seeding before the postseason begins in mid-August. The playoffs will run no later than October 13, and the NBA Draft will be conducted on October 16.
Time will tell if the NBA's plan works out, but it's best that the positive tests are rolling in now rather than later.
