FILE – Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, right, talks with Kyle Lowry (7) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via AP)
TORONTO – Three members of the Toronto Raptors have tested positive for COVID-19 during the league-mandated testing period prior to training camp, the NBA team said on Monday.
The Raptors, who in 2019 became the first Canadian team to win an NBA championship, did not identify the individuals but said all three are self-isolating away from the rest of the organization.
“Adherence to protocols, follow-up testing and contact tracing has so far revealed no spread to other members of the Raptors organization,” the Raptors said in a statement.
The team also said media access scheduled for Monday with head coach Nick Nurse and starting point guard Kyle Lowry has been canceled.
The Raptors, who arrived in Tampa, Florida, last week for training camp, will start the 2020-21 season playing home games in the U.S. city because of travel restrictions the Canadian government has put in place stemming from the pandemic.
The Raptors, who lost a decisive seventh game to the Boston Celtics in last season’s Eastern Conference semi-final, open their season on Dec. 23.