Players association executive director Michele Roberts is the latest NBA figure to defend the level of coronavirus tests being given to basketball players, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Eight full teams have been tested in the past week, while many members of the general public are having difficulty getting access to the tests. Roberts said the players shouldn’t be blamed for the perceived inequity.
“There’s nothing irresponsible — if you’ve got that information (that you’ve been exposed) — about trying to get the tests,” Roberts said.“The problem that more of us can’t get the tests.”
Testing on NBA players has come under fire from a number of quarters, most notably New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, who tweeted yesterday that teams shouldn’t be receiving the tests ahead of critically ill patients. His comments came in response to the news of testing on the Nets that revealed four players are positive.
“We were doing games where tens of thousands of people were coming into our arenas. We were exposing potentially a lot of people to being infected,” Roberts said. “I get it. If you’re 65 years old — I’m 64 — and you’re symptomatic and want to get tested, it must be difficult to hear about some young’uns getting tested. I get that. And the players get that. But to the extent that there was some effort to find out just how pervasive our infection was so that people would know.”
There’s more NBA news related to COVID-19:
- The Pistons tested 17 members of the traveling party that accompanied the team to New York and Philadelphia last week, reports Rod Beard of The Detroit News. It was revealed over the weekend that Christian Wood has tested positive for the virus, but the remaining tests haven’t been completed. Everyone who made the trip is being asked to remain in self-isolation through March 25, which is 14 days from the last game.
- After news broke about the Nets’ positive tests, the Bulls were placed under quarantine through March 22, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. That’s two weeks after the Bulls traveled to Brooklyn for a March 8 game. No one from the team’s traveling party has shown any symptoms of the virus, Johnson adds.
- Bill Oram of The Athletic is calling the Lakers “socially irresponsible” after a majority of the team was tested for the virus today at the team’s practice facility. Oram proposes teams that can afford to pay for testing should cover the costs for some at-risk patients.
- Teams are able to arrange testing so quickly because the league office asked all of them to contact infectious disease specialists and implement a process to have their players tested if necessary, explains Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Many teams already had established connections with medical facilities that can provide testing.
So sick of elitist attitude from NBA players. Why does everyone cater to these clowns?
You love sports, eat a bag.
There’s a lot of money invested in these guys. Wouldn’t want a huge portion of your league to be sick and lose them possibly… this virus is such a mystery.
You find ways to protect the goose that lays the golden egg. Without these “clowns” there is no NBA. And don’t lose sight of the fact you’d give your right nut to dress up as a clown for one day and get out on the court with them.
Doesn’t mean they deserve testing over anyone else
If an NBA player and a plumber walked into a hospital for testing you would be absolutely right. 100%.
But if an owner of an NBA team made phone calls and went online to look for testing kits and found some, and provided them to his key franchise travelers, then that’s okay too. Don’t you agree?
I don’t think you get how shortages work
I don’t think you get the power of a man’s mind to do anything he what’s it too. We’re not all stuck to our couches playing video games till 3 AM.
An owner of an NBA basketball team usually has not inherited his money. Less than 5% of millionaires inherited their money. When someone of this caliber puts their mind to it, they will find a way, whether you can see it or not, to do what it takes to get done what he feels is important. Whatever that thing may be, he will find a way. End of story. That’s something you don’t get.
There’s 3 groups of people.
#1 Those who say, “that can’t happen,”
#2 Those that make it happen, and
#3 Those that wonder, what happened?
Weren’t all teams that played the Jazz tested? Don’t see why the Lakers are under a media microscope.
They aren’t…been more criticism in NY
These tests should be goin to critically ill people, a healthy young nba player showing no signs should absolutely have an opportunity to be tested but for now these should be saved for those who are highly symptomatic or highly at risk to suffer dire consequences if they were to get the virus and not treat it as quickly as possible, seems we are headed for a nation wide lockdown, strange days, wash your hands
If someone is critically ill what is a test going to do? Prove that they’re ill? The tests don’t treat the disease in any way. It seems better to test the ones that aren’t showing symptoms so they know whether they are spreading the disease or not
great comment!
Exactly! If this were a cure then it would be completely different. Those that are critically I’ll should already be isolating themselves.
Why on earth would anyone listen to the useless mayor of NYC, he has a lot more & bigger problems than to worry who gets tested! Can’t see why all the hysteria about players getting tested… if it is sooo important for people to get tested go to a private clinic, they will be delighted to test you, if you (like me) can’t afford it… then just stay home & don’t whine about it, this world, this life was never meant to be fair.
your comment is so right on the money. & also what you will not often hear is that the virus test has an error rate of close to 50 percent.
Certainly have not heard that. Source please. Let’s test for an error!
There was a kid in Los Angeles that tested positive and was hospitalized.. they ran 2 subsequent tests that came back negative.. one of them being the original sample being retested
“if you can’t afford it just stay home and don’t whine about it” I totally agree. Poor people should just stay home and not whine about things while unemployed and starving. Losers.
If you follow a doctor’s advice, you probably won’t get tested. But you can order from Europe. We are teaching people to buck the system.
Medicine should be looked upon differently than a private industry… The federal or state should have some productive capacity for emergencies rather than rely on the profit model motivating a niche industry.
Hospitals etc have a pandemic model but it doesn’t include manufacturing. If our system relies upon a wise and timely chief executive then the sysyem is inadequate.
Speaking of respirators too.
NBPA Lawyer ; ‘ I get it ‘, ‘ I get that ‘. translation : she does not get it .
The Americans Indians
Is this their chance for revenge by supplying coronavirus infected blankets?
*disclaimer – (it’s debatable that small pox blankets were ever passed out)
Why are people freaking out about the testing for the NBA players if anything they should all be tested They play multiple games every week, traveling city to city.. around thousands of fans on and off the court.. it’s absolutely a must that they be tested and quarantined.. people don’t need to get upset..
The Nets had four players test positive but how many players and fans were exposed to the team in that time span this is how these things spread 1 to 10 10 to 100 to 1000 thousand to 10,000.. It spreads that quickly and Kevin Durant’s case he didn’t even show any symptoms but he’s positive which means He would’ve been out there spreading it and not even knowing he had it
But everyone is mad that they got tested.. that is what is wrong with society.. it’s a good thing the teams are paying for it and being proactive.. be mad at the govt for not being prepared and not having enough tests available
I think it is bull that you guys are questioning why these players are getting tested. They interact with SO many more people than the average person, therefore they have more opportunities to get infected. Teams should pay for their players and employees to be tested and don’t owe any other responsibilities to others.
Low and behold.. 2 lakers test positive.. showing no symptoms..