Not yet ready to burst the bubble
Leonard decides to put faith in NBA restart plan, even after teammates test positive
Meyers Leonard has seen teammates test positive for coronavirus, dealt with the team’s training facility being shut down as a precaution and has packed for months of living in a hotel room at Disney World.
But the Miami Heat center said Monday that when perspective is added to the equation, the sacrifices by NBA players to resume the season in quarantine pale in comparison to those of so many others.
“My brother did two nine-month tours in Afghanistan for a lot less pay,” the loquacious 7-footer said on a video media call. “We’re going to be there for three or four months, max.”
Leonard said when those sacrifices are considered, rigorous COVID-19 testing should be the least of concerns.
“Come on people, it’s not that bad,” he said of his initial rounds of testing. “Can we toughen up a little bit?
“I get it, life’s not always easy. But what do we really have to complain about?”
That, Leonard said, does not mean what is about to follow will in any way be normal. But he said he has confidence in the setup ahead of traveling Wednesday with teammates into the “bubble” type of setting in Central Florida.
“I’m not concerned. I’ll say that, for starters,” he said. “But, obviously, this virus is hard to control, even when you are
taking the highest level of precaution. And I have felt completely comfortable in all of my workouts, in everything I’ve been doing. And it’s just a reality of the world we’re living in, to be honest.
“And I’m blessed to do what I do, and I mean that, it’s not cliché. And I’m excited to compete again.”
He said positive tests for three Heat teammates has not changed his perspective on getting back to work.
“There’s an understanding that we need to be as diligent as possible and be accountable,” he said. “So in terms of the positive tests, I mean you’ve just got to look around the world, you’ve got to look around America. Again, it’s the reality of the situation we’re all living in right now. But once we’re there, I think, obviously speaking, the bubble is a great plan.
“Right now, everyone’s in their own markets, everyone’s doing their own thing, people were in their own countries, etcetera. So, I think, that there is a much greater chance that the numbers significantly drop, and I would be shocked if there were numerous cases popping up in Orlando, because of the strict guidelines.”
It is a trip that likely will come without a full Heat roster at the outset, with at least two teammates expected to be left behind in quarantine.
“We all just have to be as — I think diligent is a great word — as possible,” he said. “Just in terms of people testing positive, it’s just showing support and being there for them, if they need that support.”
On other topics, Leonard said:
As an impending free agent, he appreciates the importance of his contribution at Disney, “When you win, you get paid. And I want to stick around.”
He is hopeful for the opportunity to return to the starting lineup, after being sidelined for the 16 games prior to the NBA’s March 11 shutdown, due to a severely sprained left ankle, “We were pretty damn good when Meyers Leonard was on the basketball court for the Miami Heat. I still have to earn that, and I’m OK with that.”
Of working back into shape, he noted, “There’s going to be some bumps along the way for me.” But he also said, “I feel good. My ankle is strong. Everything has healed correctly.”
He will participate in the NBA’s jersey initiative at Disney to help promote social change, “There is a great opportunity to use the platform for the Black Lives Matter movement.”