Up until this point, the NBA’s testing procedure is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.
As all 22 teams traveled to Orlando over the last week, players were tested immediately upon arrival and then asked to quarantine in their hotel rooms for two days with a minimum of two negative tests before receiving permission to practice and move about the Disney campus. Upon those early tests, the league is now announcing that just two players – out of the 322 tested – tested positive for COVID-19.
Now, before you freak out about an already compromised bubble, the NBA made very clear that these two players never cleared the initial quarantine and have since been removed from the campus or put into isolation housing (in other words, this is the exact reason the league had their initial strict quarantine).
Here’s a full look at the NBA’s latest update:
Full NBA/NBPA release on latest coronavirus testing results. pic.twitter.com/8FjORN5Ss0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2020
While it’s never good to see any positive tests on the board, this shows that (up until this point) the NBA’s rigorous testing protocol is operating as planned. All players currently in the bubble should be fully healthy thanks to multiple negative tests, and I think it can be assumed that those two players who have been isolated may return after recording their own set of negative tests.
In related news, we’ve learned that Russell Westbrook has not yet traveled to Orlando due to a prior positive test, and the Kings Richaun Holmes is now in isolation for 10 days after he stepped outside the bubble to grab some delivery food (yes, that happened).
Russell Westbrook announced on Instagram that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
He says he is feeling well and will join the Rockets in Orlando when he is cleared. pic.twitter.com/YLhO8fXlEM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 13, 2020
Kings center Richaun Holmes crossed the the Disney campus line to pick up delivery food and must quarantine for 10 days (eight days remaining).
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2020
I wonder if what Holmes ordered was worth it?
Meanwhile, for the time being, the NBA bubble seems to be running relatively smoothly. A lot can go wrong before now and July 30th, but I’ll keep my fingers anxiously crossed as we await the official season restart.