The coronavirus strain continues to affect the sporting world with several teams revealing that there are players on their end testing positive for COVID-19. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers have members who tested positive for it though their identities were not revealed.
On the Lakers' end, there are reportedly two unnamed players who tested positive for COVID-19. On the Sixers' side, there were three members of the organization who tested positive. For Philadelphia, this may not immediately indicate that players are the ones who tested positive. The 76ers tested players, coaches and select support staff, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported.
For the Lakers, the numbers are not final. Not all players have undergone COVID-19 testing and there is a chance that more could test positive. Tests were administered in the players’ cars, and involved cotton swab being placed in their noses, CBS Sports reported.
Concern on NBA teams shifted into high gear after Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets tested positive for the strain. Before the former NBA MVP, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz and Christian Wood of the Detroit Pistons had already tested positive for COVID-19.
Aside from these developments, most have been forced into self-quarantine to safeguard themselves and prevent the COVID-19 virus from spreading. The NBA is currently on hiatus and resumption of play remains up in the air. League commissioner Adam Silver is hoping to salvage a portion of the season, hinting that he could come up with a plausible solution to avoid seeing the 2019-20 NBA season go to waste. Among the worst-case scenarios right now include the possibility of calling off the remainder of the season and crowning an NBA champion by default. If win-loss records are to be made the basis, this means that the Milwaukee Bucks could be this year's NBA champs.
But of course, this would leave a bad taste in the mouth with the success the NBA has had this season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended at least eight-weeks off for all sporting events that house multiple people, meaning the NBA season schedule will take a major hit.
Silver will need to decide at some point although other leagues have made it clear they will finish the season. The Premier League and the EFL will not start a new one until the current season is ended in football, maybe something the NBA commissioner may want to look into.
