NBA Lakers, Nets symptom free after 14-day isolations
[FILE] LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket past Wilson Chandler #21 of the Brooklyn Nets during a 104-102 Nets win at Staples Center on March 10, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images
The clubs intend to continue to follow safety guidelines set by health and government officials regarding social distance and sheltering in place.
Nets general manager Sean Marks, the first New Zealand-born player in the NBA, said the four Nets players who had tested positive for the virus, reportedly including superstar forward Kevin Durant, now show no symptoms of of COVID-19.
The entire travel group for the Nets has completed isolation after learning March 17 that a player was showing coronavirus symptoms.
Durant has not played a game for the Nets due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in last June’s NBA Finals while with Golden State.
Kyrie Irving played only 20 games for Brooklyn before calling it quits for the season due to a shoulder injury.
But with the NBA season shut down and playoffs potentially pushed back into August, they might both be recovered enough to play in post-season games if they are played.
“I don’t think it’s fair to those athletes nor the performance team to put a timeline on it,” Marks said. “I think everyone is dealing with bigger, far more pressing things.”
All team practice facilities have been closed due to the outbreak.
“Just by getting time off, yes, does that make your body heal and so forth? But there were several of our players that need the facilities, need game reps, need to be playing,” Marks said.
“You could take the other side of this and say that this hiatus has set their rehabilitation back and it has slowed them.”
Marks and other Nets personnel are only seeing players from a distance.
“They know their bodies better than anyone else, so at the right time and when they are 100% and they are up for it, I’m sure they will be making those decisions.”
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