Los Angeles (AFP)
Sixteen NBA players tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, out of 302 in total, the North American basketball league said Friday, which made the screenings a preliminary step to the resumption of its season in late July in Florida.
The identity of these players was not disclosed in the statement of the authority, nor the clubs to which they belong. Everyone immediately quarantined and will remain so until a doctor has given them permission to leave.
Wednesday, three players said they had contracted the virus: Malcolm Brogdon who plays Indiana Pacers, Jabari Parker and the Ukrainian Alex Len who play in Sacramento. And according to The Athletic, another Kings basketball player, Buddy Hield is also affected.
Apart from Len, who thanked on his Instagram account the NBA for having "implemented this screening protocol and (him) to have learned early" that he was positive, nothing indicates that these three basketball players are among the 16 listed by league.
Brogdon, key element of Pacers, 5th in Eastern Conference, with 16.3 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds on average, has been very active in recent weeks during protests against racial injustice after death by George Floyd, taking part in protests in particular. A context likely to favor the spread of the virus.
For his part, Jabari Parker said he contracted the virus "in Chicago a few days ago" where he is currently in isolation.
As is the case in Serbia, the Denver Nuggets star, Nikola Jokic, who also tested positive in Belgrade last week and therefore adds to the list of 16. Asymptomatic, he should have the green light for his return to Colorado within a week.
The big departure of the 22 teams is scheduled between July 7 and 9 in Orlando, Florida where, for more than a week, there has been a spectacular resurgence of cases of coronavirus: more than 114,000, according to the last count.
© 2020 AFP