Silver says spread could stop NBA season as Denver close facilities
Denver: The Denver Nuggets have closed their facilities after two members of the team’s travelling party tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. A third tested positive this week.
All three are asymptomatic, the Nuggets said Tuesday in confirming a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 35-member traveling party includes players, coaches and staff.
It is unclear if the Nuggets will reopen their practice facilities before the team flies to Orlando on July 7 to resume the season that was halted in mid-March because of the virus, which has killed more than half a million people including 128,000 in the United States.
The 22 teams that will resume the season July 30 returned to their practice facilities last week and players, coaches and staff have been subject to ongoing testing as they prepare to resume the season.
A week ago, a person with knowledge of the situation said that Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, one of only four players averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds, tested positive for the virus in Serbia.
Serbian centre Nikola Jokic reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 last week.Credit:AP
Nuggets coach Michael Malone revealed recently that he tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies and said he believes he had the virus in March.
When the season resumes July 30 at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, the Nuggets will start with a 43-22 record, placing them 1.5 games behind the second-placed Los Angeles Clippers and 1.5 games ahead of fourth-placed Utah in the Western Conference play-off race.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, meanwhile, says any spread of the coronavirus would prompt him to shut down the season.
"I'll say of course when we designed this plan, we were not seeing the kind of increases in cases, frankly not just in Florida and Texas but at least of the last few days, the majority of states in the United States are seeing increases in COVID cases," Silver said.
"Our model was designed for this. Our model was designed to protect us and our players from the cases in the outside community. Maybe at the time we designed it, we didn't think it would be as necessary as it is now but at least we are preparing for it."
Reuters, AP