Two Los Angeles Lakers players have tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
Two Lakers players have tested positive for coronavirus, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. The team may test the remaining players who did not take tests Wednesday morning.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 19, 2020
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Lakers players (not staff) were tested Wednesday after news of Kevin Durant and three other Brooklyn Nets testing positive for the virus. The Lakers were the last team to face the Nets before the league went on hiatus—a 104-102 surprising Brooklyn win at the Staples Center last Tuesday.
After the two positive Lakers tests, it's safe to expect the remaining players and staff to receive tests. The Lakers players will undergo a 14-day self-quarantine period, per CBS Sports. McMenamin said the tests were administered in the players' cars, and involved cotton swab being placed in their noses.
The news of the Lakers' positive tests brings the tally of active NBA players to have known to have contracted the coronavirus at seven. In addition to the four Nets, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz tested positive, as did Christian Wood of the Detroit Pistons.
The league is taking increasingly drastic steps to try and slow the outbreak and help flatten the curve. It sent out a memo on Thursday ordering all 30 teams to close their practice and training facilities to all staff — including players. The league had already told players they weren't allowed to work out at non-team facilities, either.
Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that while he won't be ready to cancel the season anytime soon, it's far too early to have an idea of when the league can return to action.
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