Considering the current restraints with COVID-19, NBA superstar Kevin Durant says he understands why players inside the NBA bubble would want some late-night “action” from the opposite sex.
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During a phone interview released Wednesday on @JoeBuddenTV on YouTube, Durant defended players who have been isolated to the bubble in Orlando, Florida for almost three months to continue the NBA season after the novel coronavirus pandemic. The isolation meant no girlfriends or wives were present until Aug. 31 when restrictions were lifted for teams who remained in the bubble during the playoffs. At the start, there were 22 teams in the complex.
“Yo…you’ve been in the bubble away from some action for three months. I mean you can’t blame ’em dawg…you can’t blame em,” the former league MVP said.
On Friday, Sept. 11, The NBA announced that Houston Rockets player Danuel House, Jr. left the Walt Disney World campus after a female COVID-19 testing official was caught inside his room for “multiple hours.” That action, according to the NBA, violated the league’s health and safety protocols.
When the news first broke about the COVID-19 violation both House and fellow Rockets teammate and NBA standout Tyson Chandler were under investigation with the NBA. According to The Athletic, the investigation cleared Chandler and that House “vehemently” denied the charges.
The league only said “no evidence was found that other players or staff had contact with the guest or were involved in this incident” and that House “will not participate with the Rockets team in additional games this season.”
NBA players currently in the playoffs, now down to four teams, have been inside the quarantined area in Orlando — known as the “bubble” — since July 30, once the NBA restarted its season after an abrupt hiatus due to the pandemic.
Durant, who has yet to make his debut with the Brooklyn Nets due to an Achilles heel injury, says he sees why some players would risk shooting their shot off-the-court. Some of the very few women around are coronavirus testing personnel.
“I heard it was no females outside of [COVID-testers],” Durant said, “It was like the maids were all men… everybody… it was nothing but men around.”
House departed the bubble as the Houston Rockets continued in the second round of the NBA playoffs against Los Angeles. The Lakers eventually won the best-of-seven series.
“After a couple months, you down 3-1?” Durant expressed. “Nah. He said ‘I don’t give a f— no more man.'”
According to USA Today Sports, Durant’s timeline was slightly off. The Rockets were down 3-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers at the time of the NBA’s discipline, but the second-round series was tied 1-1, when the incident took place.
Budden, the rapper turned podcast host who brought up the topic, told Durant he feels the current restrictions in the NBA might be a little harder for guys who have been in the league for a while.
“You know how I view the league now that you said that,” Budden said “Some of the grown players that’s been around for a lil’ bit… I see them focused on maybe getting some ass… when times get hard.”
Budden when on to say “The younger generation, I just see them locking in on the Fortnite.”
Durant agreed with Budden about the popularity of the video game among younger players but disagreed that it was an adequate substitute for sex.
“Nah bro… they still men at the end of the day… they want some action too,” Durant said. “But they are into Fornite as well.”
House, a Texas native, is reportedly married to Whitney Grant, a former Texas State University volleyball player. The couple has three children together. Their youngest, Brady is named after NFL quarterback Tom Brady.
Grant made her Instagram page private. Her bio now reads: “Never substitute pleasures for principles.”
House has limited comments on his page since his return from Orlando but posted a smiling pic earlier this week.
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He and his wife appear to be college sweethearts. House attended both the University of Houston and Texas A&M University.
An account that follows Grant on IG posted, via Twitter, a screenshot they say she posted after the ordeal saying “Reap what you sow.”
The 27-year-old, 6-foot-6 forward is under contract with Houston for two more seasons.