Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol returned during their 109-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers after going through over two weeks of quarantine. The Spanish big man revealed that he indeed contracted the coronavirus and detailed just how much the illness kicked his rear end.
Via Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints:
“It’s serious,” Gasol said. “It’s nothing to play around with. It’s something very serious.”
He said the virus "got him pretty good for 5-6 days."
"It puts basketball in the right place in that moment. It's not that important to you."
Clearly, he had a rough bout with COVID-19 https://t.co/JpI6BlFLff
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) March 26, 2021
The Lakers never confirmed during that span that their starting center did get hit with COVID-19 and listed him as out due to the league's health and safety protocols. Nevertheless, considering he was sidelined for six games, the news didn't come much of a surprise.
Much like Gasol, several players who contracted COVID-19 revealed its lingering effects on their body. Players who caught the illness early on during the season claim that the virus still affects their conditioning to this day.
New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose, who also got sick with COVID, revealed he had a brutal battle with the virus as well. Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who contracted the virus prior to the start of the season, admitted he sometimes still feels like effects of the virus from time to time.
Nonetheless, the Lakers must be glad that Gasol is finally healthy and back on the floor with them. The defending champs are in desperate need of personnel, especially with their superstar tandem LeBron James and Anthony Davis still out of action. James suffered a high ankle sprain last week and will reportedly be out for 4 to 6 weeks. Meanwhile, Los Angeles continues to exercise caution with Davis' tricky calf strain.
In his return for the Purple and Gold, Marc Gasol recorded five points, two rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench.
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