LOS ANGELES • Sacramento Kings pair Jabari Parker and Alex Len and Indiana Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon have tested positive for Covid-19. But the National Basketball Association (NBA) trio said on Wednesday they expect to recover in time for the resumption of the league next month.
"I recently tested positive for the Covid virus and am currently in quarantine," Brogdon said in a statement issued through the team. "I'm doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and play-offs."
Centre Len later said in an Instagram post that he too had the disease while Parker confirmed his diagnosis in a statement posted on the Kings' Twitter feed.
Before the NBA shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 11, Brogdon was playing a key role in Indiana's push for the play-offs.
The Pacers are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference as the league prepares to resume play in a controlled environment in a sports complex at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
In recent weeks, Pacers guard Brogdon has been an active voice in the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. He is among the NBA players who believe they can use the platform in Orlando to take the Black Lives Matter message to a broader audience.
In preparation for the resumption of play, NBA teams this week began testing all players and some staff. Some have returned positive tests, although exact numbers have not been confirmed.
The league has said that positive tests will not necessarily derail its plans to resume with 22 teams in the running to make the NBA Finals.
The Kings are among the six NBA teams currently outside of a play-off position who will join the 16 currently in post-season positions when the league assembles in early July.
The 22 invited teams will each play eight regular-season games ahead of the post-season, which could include play-in games for the last spot in each conference depending on how close the ninth-place teams are. Sacramento (28-36) are 31/2 games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies (32-33) in the Western Conference standings.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
6 Teams outside of play-off positions who will be invited to Orlando for the NBA's resumption.
