One NBPA executive has revealed she heard that the coronavirus was going to affect plenty of people who work with the association. Both players and staff will be positive for the virus regardless of if they test them or not.
Michelle Roberts, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, has revealed the dangers of this illness to players, as she speaks with them daily. Moreover, she talked with Mark Medina of USA Today Sports and explained that 40 to 50% of NBA workers will test positive for the COVID-19.
“A whole lot of us are going to test positive. Even if we aren’t positive, we got the virus. I don’t intend to disclose identities because there’s a stigma attached to that. But I certainly know there will be more players, more league staff and my own staff [that will be tested positive]. I was hearing the numbers that 40 to 50% of our population will be positive for the virus, whether or not we test for it.
“… Hearing about the players that tested positive and that their identities were disclosed upset me to no end. I was mortified any of our players would test positive. But the more I learned about the likelihood of fatalities among all of us given our ages and pre-existing conditions, I have learned to embrace the probability that many of our players will be positive for the virus.
“But the goods news is the odds are they will be fine. … I’m more worried about the grandparents. That scares me a lot, seeing our elders and the risk they face. I say that knowing I’m among that population. I’m in my 60s. … I’m more at risk than the men that I work for, so I want to calm them down.”
I caught up with @MRobertsNBPA on many topics: the likely spread that more NBA players will be tested positive, her optimism there will still be a season, if the NBA plans to pay players even through a possibly canceled season, charity efforts & more . https://t.co/WepJ2FVUmR
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) March 18, 2020
The league is planning to resume action in the summer, and Roberts remains optimistic about that possibility. However, it’s undeniable that this situation can get worse if it isn’t managed properly. Right now there are seven players infected with the disease and, according to Roberts, that number is very likely to get bigger.
