Yahoo Finance Kevin Durant: ‘I probably wouldn’t have played’ in Orlando due to coronavirus
Kevin Durant won’t be suiting up in Orlando when the NBA attempts to resume its season next month anyways.
He’s already ruled himself out while recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered last season with the Golden State Warriors.
If he were healthy, however, Durant doesn’t think he’d choose to join the Brooklyn Nets at Disney World.
[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]
The risks with the COVID-19 pandemic — especially down in Florida — would have scared him off.
"I feel, me right now, I probably wouldn't have played because the unknown going into that situation looks crazy right now, seeing so many new [coronavirus] cases," Durant said on the Dawg Talk podcast on Thursday. "It's just so unpredictable. It's easy for me to say right now because I'm injured, but I probably wouldn't have went down [to Orlando]."
Twenty-two of the league’s 30 teams will attempt to resume the season at Disney World in Florida starting on July 30. Several safety measures are going to be in place to attempt to keep the players, coaches and staff in a “bubble,” however there is a growing concern about the recent spike in cases — both in Florida and the country as a whole.
There were more than 2.4 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Thursday night, according to The New York Times, and more than 124,000 deaths attributed to it. The country reported more than 39,000 new cases on Thursday, a new all-time daily record, according to The Washington Post.
Florida had more than 114,000 cases, and set a new state record with more than 5,500 confirmed new cases on Thursday alone.
Several players have already announced that they will be opting-out of the restart plan for various reasons. Others have revealed that they have tested positive for the coronavirus themselves, including Kings stars Buddy Hield, Jabari Parker and Alex Len. Durant tested positive for coronavirus in March, just days after the NBA season was suspended.
Though Durant said he probably wouldn’t have played himself, he isn’t against players doing so. As long as they’re comfortable and make a decision together, he said, he’s all for it.
“If the guys feel safe, safe enough to go play, that’s cool. I'm with them,” Durant said. “If they don't feel like they should go down there and play or don't feel safe, I'm with them too. I'm all about what the group wants. If it’s good for the betterment of the whole group, then I’m cool with it. But I probably would have chilled.”
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