Pandemic causing delays, scenery changes
Two Warriors players have tested positive for COVID-19, delaying the start of training camp one day, general manager Bob Myers told reporters Tuesday.
The team declined to name the players who tested positive.
In other COVID-19 news, prep sports gets another pause, Stanford football is on the move to the Pacific Northwest and Santa Clara basketball has found a home in Santa Cruz.
Originally planned to start individual workouts Tuesday, Warriors players will instead begin those workouts today. A maximum of four players and four coaches can be in the facility at a time before group workouts open next week.
All players on Golden State’s roster were tested, according to Myers. Those who tested positive will quarantine until cleared to
join the team, in adherence with NBA policy.
“I don’t think this is unexpected with all the people coming back in,” Myers said. “It proves that the protocols and testing is working, that was the whole point — to catch these things before we begin.”
In order to return to the team, according to a memo sent to teams obtained by the Athletic, 12 days must pass from the player’s first positive test result, the player cannot be showing symptoms and must be cleared by both a team and league-designated physician.
The Warriors will play three preseason games beginning Dec. 12 against Denver. The NBA’s 72-game regular season opens Dec. 22. As of now, those games will be played at San Francisco’s Chase Center.
High schools
The California Interscholastic Federation pushed pause on its return-to-play plans for sports such as football and girls volleyball, saying it cannot get started until it receives guidelines from the California Department of Public Health — and that isn’t expected until after Jan. 1.
“Thus, all full practice and competition start dates are officially on hold until updated guidance is issued,” the CIF said in a
news release.
The announcement Tuesday comes six days before the North Coast Section’s traditional fall sports teams — football, volleyball, water polo, cross country — were to begin practice and less than two weeks before Central Coast Section teams were to start.
Stanford
Stanford announced the football team will relocate to Seattle and Corvallis, Oregon, for the next two weeks in response to Santa Clara County’s three-week ban on contact sports.
The Cardinal left for Seattle on Tuesday to prepare for Saturday’s game against the Washington Huskies. The following week, Stanford will travel to Corvallis
to prepare for its Dec. 12 game against the Oregon State Beavers, which was relocated from Stanford Stadium.
The Pac-12 Conference confirmed Stanford’s announced relocation to the Pacific Northwest, adding in a statement:
“This decision was made consistent with the Pac-12’s commitment to adherence to all state and local public health orders and directives, and prioritization of the health and safety of our student-athletes.”
Santa Clara
The men‘ s basketball team will face CSU Bakersfield tonight (6 p.m.) at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz. Fans will not be permitted in the facility.