The NBA is embarking on another unprecedented season under the torture of the coronavirus pandemic. After having four players test positive leading up to the bubble in Orlando in late June and July, the Kings have once again been hit with the virus that has killed more than 1.5 million people globally.
According to head coach Luke Walton, the Kings currently have players under quarantine with coronavirus.
“Before we got back into the facility and we were going through the NBA protocol, as far as the safety stuff is concerned, we had a couple of positive tests,” Walton said. “Before we opened up, those guys were put in quarantine.”
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Due to HIPAA rules (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), the Kings are not allowed to reveal the names of players who are currently infected by the virus.
Players are allowed to release that information themselves, but to date, no one from the Kings have come forward with that information.
This is the new reality for NBA players. The bubble was a safe environment, but that safety net is gone. It is going to be on the players to stay safe and be as responsible as possible.
“For us, it’s about being responsible, just trying to limit your opportunities to get the virus,” De’Aaron Fox said.
NBA
The NFL has been a one of the guinea pigs for professional sports, but they have huge rosters, fewer games and more flexibility.
“With the NBA, it’s definitely going to be different,” Fox said. “It’s not like the NFL where you have one game in a week. If somebody gets it then you kind of shut down for a couple of days. Basketball, if one guy gets it or a few guys get it, you shut down and now the whole team has to cancel 2-3 games.”
Not only are the Kings dealing with a few positive tests, but they have also been thrown into some uncertainty with their preseason schedule. They were set to play the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday and Sunday this coming week, but those games might be in jeopardy.
"Over the past four days, we have had three positive COVID test results within our organization,” Blazers GM Neil Olshey said via press release. “Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests.”
The Kings found out about the situation in Portland as they came off the practice floor. They have no idea what this announcement means for their team, but it plays into a bigger conversation of how the team has to approach this season.
“That goes back to the theme that we shared and talked about as a team before practice today, which was acknowledge, accept and attack,” Walton said. “We have to acknowledge the fact that it’s going to be a crazy season.”
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Walton said that if the games get cancelled later this week, the Kings will have to adapt. It might be a blessing in disguise that would allow the team four additional days to hit the practice floor and focus on improving.
Welcome to the 2020-21 season. The action on the floor might at times take a back seat to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic.