Clippers forward Marcus Morris made his return to the court today, dropping a team-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and 2 assists in the 91-82 win over Boston.
But don’t let his performance fool you: Morris isn’t quite feeling himself.
As he revealed to the media after the game, COVID-19 has him feeling a little funky. With the virus apparently still taking a toll on his body, he explained the kind of lingering impact it’s having on him:
I definitely feel a little weird,” Marcus Morris said. “I feel like my breathing is a little bit, you know, a little funny. But, shit, you know we got a job to do. So, shit, I came out and just continued to play my game and continue to help my team win.”
“I definitely feel a little weird. I feel like my breathing is a little bit, ya know, a little funny. But, shit, we got a job to do. So, shit, I came out and just continued to play my game and continue to help my team win.”
Marcus Morris on his return from COVID-19. #Clippers pic.twitter.com/BkbpwkxeOZ
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 30, 2021
Those are scary words from Morris, but he’s not the only one to experience such an effect.
Earlier this year, Jaylen Brown was diagnosed with COVID, and he admitted that his body didn’t feel the same.
“Like, I feel great. And then it feels like instead of playing one game, it kind of feels like I played three. I’m used to my body responding and recovering a lot faster. I know I just turned 25, but this can’t be what it looks like on the other side,” Brown said, per ESPN.
“As I continue to fight through it and continue to play more games and get the right stuff into my system, it will get better,” Brown added. “Right now it has been inconsistent. I think that’s obvious. But my body hasn’t felt the same.”
So, it’s pretty clear that COVID-19 can linger in your system well beyond you feel the worst of the symptoms. While it might not be a huge deal for ordinary folk, NBA players need good stamina to keep up a quality level of play game in and game out.
Hopefully, Morris gets right soon and this latest COVID outbreak in the NBA runs its course. We’ll find out soon enough how it all plays out.
