Nuggets head coach Michael Malone revealed on Monday that he contracted the novel coronavirus in March.
Malone is the first NBA coach known to have tested positive for the virus. In March, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton was the first prominent head coach in a major U.S. sport who revealed he had COVID-19.
Malone made his revelation during an interview with CBS Denver 4 (hat tip to ESPN). Malone didn’t find out he had the virus until he received an antibody test approximately two months later.
“I’d say around March 20, I started not feeling well, and we began reaching out to team doctors to see if I could get a test,” Malone said. “Unfortunately, at that time, there was no testing available. So I only found out after the fact. I was able to get an antibody test probably right around Memorial Day weekend. And not surprisingly, our team doctor called up and said, ‘Listen, you tested positive.'”
Numerous players contracted the virus in March following Rudy Gobert‘s positive test that resulted in the suspension of play, including Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Christian Wood and Marcus Smart. Interestingly, an unnamed member of the Nuggets organization also tested positive in March. That person was experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19 on March 16.
Malone’s team was 43-22 when play was halted and remains one of the top contenders for the title. Malone is hopeful that the Orlando bubble environment will limit the possibility of an outbreak among participants.
“I hope that going down to Orlando will be a safe environment and we can limit the amount of people that actually get [COVID-19],” he said.
This is all a bunch of garbage. They report he “had it“ but was never reported when he “got it“? No one can believe any of this anymore especially since the video has gone viral we are a nurse who used to be in the military came up to New York from Florida to help out with the COVID-19 pandemic in that state. Very suspicious something fishy was going on at Elmhurst Hospital this woman secretly recorded her time they’re even showing a test result that both results said the person did not have it but at the top of the paper they listed the person is COVID-19 positive. Then recording a doctor telling nurses to tell the patient he has COVID-19 even though he did not and when treatment could’ve been administered telling the nurses to tell the family there’s nothing they can do. Turns out every person that gets admitted into the hospital for COVID-19 the government gives that hospital $30,000 a day per patient and most of this our hospitals trying to scam the government out of money. So excuse me if I find it a little fishy that it’s being reported this coach had the virus but was never reported when he got it.
It literally says around March 20th he started not feeling well but couldn’t get tested…so if I had to guess, I’d say maybe around March 20th lol
@goldenmisfit you aren’t entitled to hear about everyone’s health. It’s private information covered by HIPAA, so if the patient doesn’t disclose, it isn’t going to be reported to you. You may hear that there have been cases, but not who unless they tell you themself.
And, as @braveshomer pointed out, the article clearly says that Malone was sick in March, and wasn’t able to get tested until Memorial Day. He tested positive for the antibodies. Look up (just a little) about the science of viruses and you then might understand how that testing works.
Can’t believe all that fake news out there, right misfit?
Wow!!! No big deal!! The media is acting like it’s magic with hiv!!!