Former Duke basketball forward Jabari Parker tests positive for COVID-19
Former Duke basketball standout forward Jabari Parker has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
As the NBA gets set to return in Orlando at the end of July, teams are testing their players for the novel coronavirus as they return to their facilities in preparation for the restart.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Wednesday night that Sacramento Kings forward and former Duke Blue Devil Jabari Parker had tested positive for the coronavirus but plans to meet the team in Orlando for the resumption of the season.
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Parker will now have to quarantine and self-isolate for 10-14 days and test negative for the virus before rejoining his teammates.
In a statement released by the franchise, Parker said he tested positive while in his hometown of Chicago and immediately self-isolated and is “progressing” in his recovery and “feeling well.”
Wednesday was not a banner day for the Kings as guard Buddy Hield and forward Alex Len also tested positive for COVID-19, according to Charania.
Jabari Parker is the first known player, coach, or staff member associated with the Duke basketball program, past, present, or future, to have tested positive for the virus.
The former consensus All-American was traded to the Kings from the Atlanta Hawks at the NBA trade deadline and has only played in one game with his new team after averaging 15.0 points per game in 32 games with the Hawks.
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Sacramento is one of the 22 NBA teams that will report to the NBA’s “bubble” in ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex, inside Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as the Kings were in striking distance of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The Kings currently have a 28-36 record, tied with the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans, and are three and a half games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed.
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The NBA season is set to resume on July 30.