JaVale McGee Acknowledges His Asthma Was A Concern Heading Into Bubble
JaVale McGee had an extra consideration to weigh when deciding whether to enter the NBA bubble in Orlando.
McGee has asthma, a condition that makes him high-risk if he were to contract COVID-19.
"I’m so focused -- and I’ve been focused all year -- on one goal and that’s winning the NBA championship," McGee said in a recent conference call. "So if I go through how I’ve been going through life my whole life -- I mean, I had asthma, I could’ve quit then. So I feel like I’ve just got to keep going. And that’s the best thing for me, just to keep focusing on what I can control right now."
McGee, who was hospitalized for three days with pneumonia in December of 2018, said he decided to play in the resumed NBA season at Walt Disney World because he trusts the league's safety protocols which aim to make the bubble a safer environment than the outside world.
"The NBA is taking a lot of precautions when it comes to COVID and everything that they’re doing, everything is top notch here," he said. "So I feel pretty safe."
McGee was averaging 6.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots in 16.8 minutes a game before the season was paused March 11 for the Lakers, who are atop the Western Conference with a record of 49-14.
McGee said he's wearing the social justice message "Respect Us" on the back of his jersey and looks forward to bringing increased awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement while also trying to help the Lakers win their first championship since 2010.
"I definitely feel like respect is a key factor in social injustices," he said. "I feel like we definitely need to get equality. We definitely need to get the same respect everybody else does. It’s just a blessing to have this platform and the NBA doing everything they’re doing to help also."
