The Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder acknowledged they used private facilities to test players and staff for coronavirus (COVID-19) and explained why they did in statements released on Wednesday.
The Thunder said yesterday that the players and staff who needed COVID-19 testing based on their exposure at the game against the Utah Jazz on March 11 tested negative—just one day after the Brooklyn Nets announced four players tested positive for COVID-19.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized the Nets on Twitter for testing players who are asymptomatic: “We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested. Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick.”
The Nets released a statement on Wednesday defending who they tested and how they obtained the test kits.
“If we had waited for players to exhibit symptoms, they might have continued to pose a risk to their family, friends, and the public. Our hope is that by drawing attention to the critical need for testing asymptomatic positive carriers, we can begin to contain the spread and save lives. We believe it is not only the right thing to do for our players and their families, it is the responsible thing to do from a medical and epidemiological standpoint.”
Makes sense to me.
Maybe Mayor de Blasio needs to worry less about the NBA and more about NYC. Of course, it’s obvious he just made a big show with this ridiculous statement to make it seem like he is.
Source: USA Today
Photo Credit: Getty Images