Which NBA Players Have Failed The COVID-19 Test?

The NBA was the first sporting league to be suspended after one of its players, Rudy Gobert, tested positive. The league got a reality check then, as they realized just how quickly the virus could spread, especially while playing a close contact sport like basketball. This was around the same time the pandemic was growing on a large scale across the world, which is why the league was suspended indefinitely on March 11th. It is now slated to return on July 30th. 

Several players found themselves infected right around the time the suspension was placed or much later due to lockdown. Most of those who are tested positive did not experience any life-threatening symptoms, given that their fitness and health conditions were much better than the average person. In this article, let us look at various players who have contracted, and even recovered from the coronavirus. 

Donovan Mitch.

He’s the teammate of Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert, who was the first player to test positive for the virus in the NBA. The entire league was thrown into a frenzy when his results came out, and they shut down activities almost immediately. But that did not mean the Utah Jazz team was lucky enough. Donovan Mitch tested positive a few days after Gobert did, and though no one can determine how he contracted the virus or from whom this brought a negative press to the Jazz. They were the talk of the NBA town throughout March and April, but soon, many other players tested positive. 

Kevin Durant.

The superstar of the NBA, now currently with the Brooklyn Nets, tested positive when the organization conducted COVID-19 tests. After the NBA discovered that more players might be infected, it became mandatory for all the teams to get their players, executives and staff tested. When this was conducted within the Brooklyn Nets, not only did they find out that Kevin Durant had tested positive, but three more of his teammates had also tested positive. The organization never released the names of the other three teammates. It wasn’t them who revealed the test result of Durant either. The two - time Finals MVP did so, himself, urging people to stay indoors and practice social distancing. 

Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan.

Now, as gameplay is set to begin at the end of July, teams were mandated to test all their players before training could begin. When these tests were conducted at the end of June, Dinwiddie and Jordan both tested positive. This puts their positions in limbo as the season is set to resume, and they might not be back in full form by then. 

Marcus Smart.

The Boston Celtics’ player tested positive, and it was determined that he contracted the virus from the one he was in close contact with days before his result. The contact tracing of the other person led them to Marcus Smart and as suspected, he tested positive. The team then went on to issue a statement and held a briefing about the same. Eleven days after his results were publicized, The Athletic publication posted about Smart’s recovery as well.

James Dolan.

The owner of the New York Knicks, James Dolan was one of the first executives across the NBA teams to have tested positive for the virus. He tested positive in late March after the NBA had suspended play. So it is unlikely that he contracted it from a player or during the league. It was stated that he had almost no symptoms, but he was in self- quarantine as the protocol required him to do. The Knicks, in their tweet on their official Twitter page, announced a few days later that he had tested negative, and therefore, had completely recovered from the virus. 

Jabari Parker, Alex Len, and Buddy Hield.

Just like all the other teams constantly screening their players, the Sacramento Kings did the same with all their players. It was found that three of their players currently had the coronavirus, i.e. the forward Jabari Parker, the towering and intimidating Alex Len, and Buddy Hield, who was the 2020 three-point contest champion. 

Nikola Jokic.

This Serbian player was recently found to be tested positive despite being quarantined in his hometown recently. He was asymptomatic at the time of testing but went into isolation as he was a carrier. Worrying news reached fans a few days later, where a photo of Jokic showed that he had lost weight, despite being asymptomatic.