NBA is closing facilities as the positive tests rise
Celtics’ Smart is one of the latest to join the list
The NBA has told its teams to close their training and practice facilities to all players and staff starting Friday, a development that came on a day where four more teams revealed they have had players or staff test positive for the coronavirus.
The Los Angeles Lakers said Thursday that two of their players tested positive, and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics said he tested positive as well. Those revelations came after the Philadelphia 76ers said three members of their organization and the Denver Nuggets said someone within their franchise also tested positive.
The Lakers, 76ers and Nuggets all opted to not identify those who tested positive. The 76ers and Nuggets also did not reveal if the positive tests were linked to a player, coach or another level of staff.
Smart said he waited five days for his test results.
"I've been self-quarantined since the test, thank goodness," Smart said on Twitter. "COVID-19 must be taken with the highest level of seriousness. I know it's a #1 priority for our nations health experts, & we must get more testing ASAP."
Smart's comments and the other positive-test revelations came hours after the NBA's memo, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, was sent Thursday afternoon and stressed that players needed to be extremely diligent about social distancing and other precautions.
The NBA recommended that players "should take aggressive measures to avoid contact with others and remain home as much as possible, leaving only for essential activities." It additionally said it was updating the guidelines "in light of the rapidly-developing coronavirus situation, and consistent with evolving advice from health experts regarding how to promote individual and public health while minimizing the spread of the virus."
As recently as Monday, the NBA was telling teams that individual workouts could take place at team facilities using what the league called the "one player, one coach, one basket" rule. Now, that's not even permitted. If players are going to work out during the league's shutdown, they'll have to do it at home or some other private facility. Public facilities, like gyms or college courts — many of which are closed anyway — aren't permitted to be used by NBA players under the league's coronavirus policy.
Essential activities, by NBA definition, include buying food, medicine, or other necessary supplies; obtaining critical medical services; providing necessary care for a family member in another household; or attending to some other emergency.
With two from the Lakers and another from the Celtics, the NBA now has 10 players — four from the Brooklyn Nets, two from the Utah Jazz and one from the Detroit Pistons — known to have tested positive for COVID-19.
The number of known cases within the NBA is now 14 when adding the Denver and Philadelphia cases.
"Pursuant to CDC guidelines, the individuals are in self-isolation and will be monitored closely by medical professionals," the 76ers said.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN on Wednesday that eight teams have been tested; not all of those teams have publicly acknowledged testing, so it is possible that the number of positives among NBA players could be higher.
"Consistent with an increasing number of state and local government restrictions, and an emerging consensus regarding how to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus with which the NBA's infectious disease and public health experts agree, effective tomorrow and until further notice, team practice or training facilities ... will be closed to players and staff," the NBA wrote.