Evan Fournier Defends Gobert, Criticizes Coronavirus Coverage
The coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve and so does how the media is covering it with respect to the NBA.
Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert was the first player who tested positive for COVID-19 and the French center was criticized for his careless nature leading up to his diagnosis. Gobert mockingly touched all the microphones and recorders in front of him following a media session and reportedly showed a “cavalier” attitude in the locker room, touching other people and their belongings in a way that mocked the seriousness of the coronavirus.
Evan Fournier, who is Gobert’s teammate on the French national team, believes the big man has been treated unfairly since that positive test and isn’t thrilled with how NBA media has covered the pandemic.
“It hurts me, he became the face of the virus in the NBA,” Fournier told L’Equipe (h/t Sportando). “The behavior of people and journalists has been disgusting.
“I don’t understand (revealing) the names of the sick: it looks like the transfer window when it’s the scoop race. It was a coronavirus free agency, unbearable. You can say a guy is sick without naming him… Philadelphia and the Lakers have cases and we don’t know who they are.”
The Sixers and Lakers are among the teams that didn’t announce or leak the names of those who contracted the virus. Two players from Los Angeles are affected, while three members of the Sixers organization (not necessarily players) have been diagnosed.
The Celtics and Nets also announced positive tests without naming any players. However, Marcus Smart immediately came forward via his social media, telling fans that he was the affected Celtics player and provided an update on his situation. The public’s knowledge of Kevin Durant‘s diagnosis took a similar path.
The media’s coverage of the events, particularly those within the NBA, is much less significant than the actual health and well-being of the millions whom the virus has impacted. Still, it’s fair to wonder whether Fournier has a point in his criticism.
Professional athletes, at least within the United States, are still protected by privacy acts such as HIPAA, but their diagnoses are routinely shared with the public (by entities that don’t employ them). Should the coronavirus be any different?
NBA organizations have no such decision to make when it comes to passing along medical information, as they are required to keep records confidential. It’s one reason why the Sixers had to move on from Bryan Colangelo when he shared medical information via a burner Twitter account. It’s why you haven’t seen an NBA team disclose information on any specific players with the virus.
NBA players and teams have come under criticism for the amount of testing they are receiving compared to the general population. While it was reported that teams are buying the tests privately, that fact hasn’t lessened the backlash.
Part of being an NBA player is being in the public eye. Players have a spotlight on them that many others do not — just like they have the resources to access coronavirus tests that many within the United States cannot afford.
Individual reporters and writers must make judgment calls on what information to report and what to tuck away. This is true when it comes to the coronavirus and all matters.
Do you think Fournier has a point? Or has the coverage of the coronavirus in the NBA been appropriate?
Coronavirus Notes: Schedule, Testing, Jazz, Satoransky
If the NBA season is completed late in the summer, it could have long-term implications on the league schedule, Mike Singer of the Denver Post opines. If the playoffs are conducted in July and August, there is no chance that NBA training camps would open in late September, Singer notes. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin’s suggestion prior to the suspension of play that the league calendar should shift to a December-August format could become a reality, at least for one season.
We have more coronavirus-related news:
- The ease in which NBA teams had access to tests compared to the general public was a bad look for the league, Dan Wolken of USA Today writes. Franchises should use their vast resources and influence to get others tested, rather than asymptomatic NBA players, Wolken argues.
- Jazz owner Gail Miller and her family will “more than match” the $200K donation that Gobert has pledged to Vivint Arena and Jazz part-time employees, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. Gobert and numerous other NBA players have made similar donations to arena workers.
- Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky is pessimistic about the resumption of the NBA season and wants to return to Europe, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. In a recent interview with NOVA Sports, he said, “It is not pleasant to stay here and watch the team owners try to finish the league in order not to lose so much money. It is not very pleasant, perhaps because we would like to travel to the Czech Republic with my wife and daughter. We perceive the situation logically as Europeans. We perceive that all the right measures are already in place in the Czech Republic, and we think that in the USA, it will only get worse and worse.
David Griffin Talks NBA Shutdown, Zion Williamson, More
The NBA continues to be in wait-and-see mode with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the league to halt operations. Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin joined the club’s local broadcast team to talk about the suspended season as well as share some insight about the on-court product in New Orleans, as the team relays on its website.
Griffin said he hopes that the league resumes soon but wouldn’t speculate on a definite timeline, as it’s impossible to accurately predict when the virus will be contained.
“With everything changing so quickly, everything is in a state of flux that I think it would be premature for the NBA to say what it ultimately looks like,” Griffin said. “I do know unequivocally that the league is very mindful of the idea of getting back to playing.
“The idea of canceling a season is not all on their minds, and we’re modeling every possible thing we can for how we can deliver a product to the fans. Quite frankly, we’re all going to need a diversion in the future. (But) until we can get to a point where we think we’ve got containment of (the coronavirus), we’re going to continue to stay locked down. Hopefully we’ll get to a point where we can come back sooner rather than later.”
During the 30-minute segment, Griffin also discussed the Pelicans’ roster, including the fit of Zion Williamson and Lonzo Ball.
“A big part of it is the chemistry you see with Lonzo and Zion. They have a special connection,” Griffin said, while adding that Nicolo Melli has also proven to be a good on-court mate to Williamson.
“I think Nicolo Melli getting more minutes, and him starting to become a key part of the rotation has been essential as well,” the executive added. “Those three guys work incredibly well as a unit. Zion gives us another player who can create vertical thrust in the offense, and Lonzo can pick defenses apart with his passing.”
IOC Hints At Delaying 2020 Olympics
With the coronavirus global pandemic ongoing, there has been speculation that the 2020 Olympics could be canceled or delayed. The International Olympic Committee (via a press release) has stated that “cancellation is not on the agenda,” but the organization suggests delaying the games is on the table.
President Thomas Bach says that it’s too early to make a final decision about the date of the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“So, like you, we are in a dilemma: Cancellation of the Olympic Games would destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees, from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, most likely for the Paralympic athletes, and for all the people who are supporting you as coaches, doctors, officials, training partners, friends and family,” Bach said in the statement.
“Cancellation would not solve any problem and would help nobody. Therefore it is not on our agenda.”
Bach added that the organizations hopes to have a finalized decision “within the next four weeks.”
Many NBA, NHL COVID-19 Cases Have Staples Center Links
Half of the coronavirus cases in the NBA and NHL have connections to the Staples Center, where both the Clippers and Lakers play, Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times writes.
It’s impossible to identify the source of the virus spreading, but the Staples Center, which hosts roughly 250 events per year, has been linked to eight of the 16 known cases within the two leagues.
Fenno notes that the Staples Center hosted 39 events since the first case of COVID-19 hit the county. Those events include the Grammy Awards and the memorial service for Kobe Bryant.
Two unnamed Lakers players have tested positive for the virus earlier this week. Four Nets players, including Kevin Durant, tested positive. Brooklyn played in Los Angeles prior to the NBA suspending the 2019-20 season because of the pandemic.
Coronavirus Update: Griffin, Smart, Greece, Olympics
Although the coronavirus continues to spread through the league, the NBA hasn’t given any thought to canceling its season, according to Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin (Twitter link from Will Guillory of The Athletic). Griffin made the comment tonight on the team’s Twitter feed during a rebroadcast of a game from earlier this season.
The number of NBA players testing positive for the virus grew from two to 10 over the past week. Three members of the Sixers organization and a member of the Nuggets organization have also tested positive.
Griffin’s comment meshes with a statement by NBA commissioner Adam Silver earlier this week that he remains optimistic that the season will be concluded in some form.
There’s more basketball-related coronavirus news:
- Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the players who tested positive, appeared on CNN yesterday to urge people to take the virus seriously, writes Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports. Smart said he and his teammates were tested after returning from their last road trip and they have all remained quarantined. “Be alert to what’s going on and take the precautions to not only protect yourself,” he said. “By protecting yourself, you protect others.”
- Panathinaikos is allowing American players to return home because of the virus outbreak in Greece, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. Jimmer Fredette, the most recognizable name on the roster, came back to the United States several days ago. Former NBA forward Wesley Johnson is also part of the team.
- USA Track and Field is calling for the Summer Olympics to be postponed because of the pandemic, reports CNN. “Unfortunately, while our world class athletes are willing to push themselves to their athletic limits in pursuit of Olympic success, the likelihood that they will be able to properly train in a safe and adequate environment, and replicate the excellence we have all come to expect, does not appear likely in the midst of this global crisis,” USATF chief executive Max Siegel wrote. “As we have learned our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness is among our highest priorities.”
And-Ones: Ayres, NBA Together, Olympics, Season
The Japanese B League has announced it will once again postpone its season after recently attempting to resume play, Jonathon Givony of ESPN writes.
The league will be postponed until after April 1 following a “chaotic weekend” of games which revealed that multiple safety issues still remain for its players, coaches and teams, Givony notes. The league was originally postponed on Feb. 26.
“I decided not to practice or play due to concern regarding how the league, and my team specifically, was doing to keep players safe,” said former NBA player Jeff Ayres, a member of the Ryukyu Golden Kings. “I felt we were putting ourselves at risk. It was a reckless environment.”
Ayres joins a number of international players who chose to return home amidst the global coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. State Department recently issued an advisory that suggests all U.S. citizens traveling overseas return home unless they plan to live outside the country indefinitely.
“Being able to come home was a big deal for me,” Ayres said. “What if they declared a state of emergency and closed the borders? I wasn’t going to miss the birth of my child. The league wasn’t doing anything to prevent us from getting sick and had no procedures in place for what would happen if someone contracted the virus. My team in particular was not taking any of the measures that were recommended, such as taking players’ temperatures daily, until it was already too late. The league was pressuring players to play in games due to pressure from sponsors, and my team was being dismissive of our concerns.”
Ayres also mentioned that the team threatened to terminate his contract over his decision to leave, claiming that it has the situation under control.
Here are some other odds and ends from the basketball world:
- The NBA has launched a global ‘NBA Together’ campaign in response to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to support, engage, educate and inspire youth, families and fans during the league’s unprecedented hiatus. As part of the campaign, the NBA has committed to help raise more than $50MM to support people impacted by COVID-19 around the world. The league will have a member of the NBA family participate in a live interview every weekday at 3:00pm ET, stream classic games on NBA TV and other social platforms, and offer a free preview of League Pass to fans until April 22.
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated examines why he believes the Olympics will be postponed, with COVID-19 likely to force organizers to push the dates of each event back. The Olympics are currently set to take place from July 24 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan.
- The NBA’s worst off-court season in recent memory took another hit with the coronavirus pandemic, Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY writes. The season started with off-court troubles between the league and China that stemmed from a controversial tweet by Daryl Morey, progressed to the tragic deaths of former NBA commissioner David Stern and legendary Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, and culminated in a suspended season due to COVID-19.
Hiatus Notes: Dudley, Blazers, Ballmer, Booker, Mavs
Veteran forward Jared Dudley is pessimistic that the NBA will resume its season after this indefinite hiatus, he explained on FOX Sports Radio this week.
Dudley joins a growing list of NBA players and officials who are skeptical about whether the league can resume its regular season. The overall concern, he explains, is focused around limiting injuries.
“Once I heard the news of no more practice facilities, if that goes for a month or month-and-a-half to two months, I find it almost impossible to then have a season because now you’re telling a professional athlete, ‘For 60-to-80 days you’ve done no training,'” Dudley said.
League officials know that resuming the regular season after several weeks of limited training would be risky unless each team is awarded ample time of preparation, much like what’s already being offered in the fall with training camps. Dudley estimates that 70% of athletes don’t have a personal gym inside their home to utilize during this break.
“I’m not optimistic right now at all for a season to be honest with you,” Dudley said. “Unless something happens here in the next 30 days where they open back up the facilities. But how do they do that? Once everyone starts getting tested you’re going to hear more and more cases because it’s a very common thing to get.”
The NBA is discussing a plethora of different avenues to take as this unprecedented hiatus continues, with commissioner Adam Silver open to receiving suggestions from the league’s players, coaches, agents, executives and fans for the time being.
Here are some other notes related to the NBA’s hiatus:
- The Trail Blazers and owner Jody Allen have committed more than $4MM towards COVID-19 relief efforts, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). The money will assist game night employees impacted by the league’s postponement.
- The Ballmer Group, founded by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, have donated $1MM to community groups in Los Angeles to help during the coronavirus epidemic, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes.
- Suns guard Devin Booker is pledging $100L through Twitch livestreaming to support non-profits that best serve the needs of the most vulnerable in the community, the team announced in a press release. Phoenix Suns Charities will match Booker’s initial donation, the release adds.
- Mark Cuban, Luka Doncic and Dwight Powell have teamed up with the Mavericks Foundation to donate $500,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital, the team announced (Twitter link). The funds will support childcare for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.
NBA Teams Preparing To Conduct Draft Business Remotely
Given the uncertain nature of how the 2020 NBA draft will transpire due to the coronavirus crisis, teams are preparing to go through the scouting process via Skype interviews and based on prior in-person interviews, says CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link).
As we relayed on Friday, the June 25 draft may be pushed back, since the NBA still wants to resume its 2019/20 season. Per the report, the draft is not a high priority for the league as it weighs all options and works through potential scenarios for the suspended season.
“The draft is the last thing on their list,” one executive told ESPN. “We saw it in the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations in 2016. They never even got to (the draft). Revenue drivers will come first, and then we’ll see what happens with the draft after all that gets figured out. It might be a while.”
It’s an unusual scenario for the league and this year’s prospects, as the outbreak will reduce the capability of further scouting the players in person. However, given the fluidity of the situation, it’s unclear if and when the process can resume with normalcy.
Payment Of Players Uncertain Beyond April 1
The NBA has not committed to paying players in full beyond April 1 during the suspension of play, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
The next checks are scheduled to be issued on April 1. The following payment would be due on April 15 and a league memo sent to teams on Friday said it would provide “additional guidance” on the April 15 checks.
“Force Majeure” language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for a percentage of contracts to be withheld in extreme circumstances.
The NBA and the Players Association have discussed the issue, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet. The NBA can withhold 1/92.6th of a player’s salary per cancelled game — about 1% of his annual salary.