Mavs' Rick Carlisle Says COVID-19 Diagnosis Was Result of False-Positive Test

Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said he received a false-positive for COVID-19 on Friday after his initial test results prevented him from coaching in Friday's victory over the New York Knicks. 

“I was pretty sure this was a false positive and I’m grateful that it turned out that way,” Carlisle told reporters on Saturday.

The coach has been fully vaccinated since January and spent the night isolated in his New York hotel. He's expected to coach the Mavs during Saturday's game at the Washington Wizards.

Dallas assistant coach Jamahl Mosley led the Mavericks in their win over the Knicks and told reporters after the game that Carlisle had been cleared to travel with the team to Washington that night.

Carlisle, 61, has coached the Mavs since 2008—winning the title in 2011—but has struggled in the postseason lately with six first-round exits and four missed postseasons since capturing the championship.

The 42-year-old Mosley is considered one of the top head coaching candidates in the league and previously interviewed with the Knicks and Chicago Bulls. Friday's win may have helped his case. 

“He’s a young man that’s worked extremely hard to build up his reputation as a great young coach, great communicator,” Carlisle told the Dennis and Cowlishaw Show on ESPN Dallas 103.3 [KESN-FM] last summer. “I don’t think he’s going to be with us much longer, honestly. … This guy is going to be a head coach sooner than later.”