Russell Westbrook tests positive for COVID-19

The Houston Rocket star says he won't travel to Orlando right away

Jul 13, 2020

Houston Rockets v Boston Celtics — Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the first half of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 29, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

One of the league’s biggest stars is sitting on the sidelines – or more correctly in an undisclosed quarantine location as the NBA season begins its re-start in Orlando, Florida.

Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook will not be joining his teammates in Orlando, he announced on Instagram today. The All-Star acknowledged that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is currently quarantined.

“I’m currently feeling well, quarantined and looking forward to rejoining my teammates when I’m cleared,” he wrote on his Instagram page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CClu-CijR6o/

While the NBA has said that they will not release player’s coronavirus test results given medical privacy regulations, but speculation has also circulated around James Harden and Luc Mbah a Moute who also didn’t make the trip to Orlando with the rest of the team, ESPN reports.

These are things that people are dealing with,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Rockets forward Bruno Caboclo will also be delayed in his return to the Rockets as he breached quarantine by leaving his room, ESPN reported. Caboclo said he was unaware that leaving his room while remaining in the complex was an issue.

He left during the initial quarantine period, which meant that his quarantine was effectively double and he had to endure the more invasive swab testing, as will be the case for anyone who breaks the quarantine.

Internet sleuths thought Westbrook may be positive when they noticed that his usual workout video posts had stopped, according to Republicworld.com.

They also noted that Westbrook’s wife, Nina, posted that she missed him, and he responded in kind, which made people think they were in separate places. Neither Harden nor Westbrook was made available on Zoom calls with media for the last two weeks.

Harden was averaging 34.4 points, 6.4 assists and 7.4 rpg, leading the league. Westbrook’s state line was almost as impressive at 27.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 8 assists. The Rockets have eight seeding games that begin against Dallas on Friday, July 31 at 8 p.m.

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