NBA

Kevin Durant among 4 Nets players to test positive for new coronavirus

Rod Beard
The Detroit News

Detroit — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the country and around the world, the number of positive tests is expected to rise as well.

The number of NBA players testing positive is increasing, too. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Kevin Durant is one of the four Brooklyn Nets players who tested positive for COVID-19. 

"Durant has not had symptoms and was among four positive test results on the Nets," Charania wrote on Twitter. "The two-time NBA Finals MVP's message is one for everyone to heed: Stay quarantined.

Durant added: "Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We're going to get through this."

Kevin Durant is one of the four Brooklyn Nets players who tested positive for COVID-19.

The Nets announced Tuesday that four of their players tested positive for coronavirus. Among those, one was showing symptoms; the other three were not. The Nets indicated that all four players were under isolation and are under the care of team doctors.

That brings the number of positive tests in the NBA to seven, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, teammate Donovan Mitchell and the Pistons’ Christian Wood were announced last week.

The NBA suspended the remainder of its season on March 11 after Gobert’s preliminary positive test.

The Nets last played on March 10 in Los Angeles against the Lakers. Prior to that, they were on a three-game homestand, against the Grizzlies on March 4, the Spurs on March 6 and Bulls on March 8.

A possible connection to the other positive tests comes just before that, when the Nets played at Boston on March 3. The Celtics also hosted the Jazz on March 6, the day before Utah played the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.

The Jazz also played in New York against the Knicks on March 4 before going to Boston two days later. There are some commonalities in that, but the Jazz also hosted the Toronto Raptors on March 9, and reports indicate the entire Raptors traveling party tested negative.

Given all the variables, it’s very difficult to draw any causal relationships to where any player might have contracted the virus — or who might have gotten it first — but the more important fact is that there are more players testing positive, which isn’t likely to change.

None of the Nets players were identified, but in the midst of announcements of the other players, the Nets moved to get tested.  

“Brooklyn tested the team upon returning from San Francisco and results came back today,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter. “Nets paid out of pocket to a private company to conduct tests. One player awoke with some aches today; rest have experienced no symptoms.”

The Nets said they will have all members of their travel party under isolation for two weeks, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard

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