Nets Issue Statement, Outline Process for Getting Players Coronavirus Tests
The Brooklyn Nets outlined the process by which they had their players tested for the coronavirus amid a shortage of available COVID-19 tests and testing supplies.
"We sourced the tests through a private company and paid them ourselves because we did not want to impact the CDC's public resources," the Nets said, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "Using the test results, we were able to take immediate precautions and strictly isolate the players who tested positive. If we had waited for players to exhibit symptoms, they might have continued to pose a risk to their family, friends, and the public."
The Nets announced Tuesday that four of their players tested positive for the disease. Kevin Durant confirmed to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium he was one of the four.
The conflict surrounding testing NBA players for the coronavirus arose after local officials in Oklahoma City processed 58 people who either worked for the Utah Jazz or were connected to the team after center Rudy Gobert tested positive while the team was in town to play the Thunder. According to the Daily Beast's Robert Silverman, that represented nearly 60 percent of Oklahoma City's daily testing capacity.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was critical of the situation surrounding the Nets:
Oklahoma State Department of Health spokesperson Jamie Dukes told USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt the department made a "public health decision" to prioritize testing the Jazz.
After Gobert's COVID-19 diagnosis, the NBA subsequently suspended the 2019-20 season. Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive.
In a statement to CNN, NBA spokesman Mike Bass cited the wider awareness toward the coronavirus' spread as a benefit of examining the league's players:
"Public health authorities and team doctors have been concerned that, given NBA players' direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, in addition to their frequent travel, they could accelerate the spread of the virus.
"Following two players testing positive last week, others were tested and five additional players tested positive. Hopefully, by these players choosing to make their test results public, they have drawn attention to the critical need for young people to follow CDC recommendations in order to protect others, particularly those with underlying health conditions and the elderly."
More than 193,000 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus worldwide and at least 7,800 people have died, per CNN.
