Hornets forward Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington and Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley are no longer with the U.S. Select Team scrimmaging against Team USA’s Olympic roster in Las Vegas, tweets ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The three players have been removed from the mix due to the coronavirus protocols.
A person with knowledge of the situation told Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that one of those three players tested positive for COVID-19, while the other two were deemed close contacts and are being held out for precautionary reasons. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News (via Twitter), Quickley entered the protocols for contact tracing purposes rather than a positive test, which suggests that one of the Hornets forwards was the player who tested positive.
Here’s more on the Olympics:
- The U.S. Select Team is down another player, according to Windhorst, who tweets that Pistons center Isaiah Stewart suffered an ankle injury during a scrimmage and left the game to receive treatment. There’s no indication at this point that Stewart’s injury is a significant one.
- Timberwolves forward Juan Hernangomez, who had been preparing to represent Spain in the Olympics, dislocated his left shoulder during an exhibition game and will miss the Tokyo games, Reynolds writes for The Associated Press. The Wolves put out a statement indicating they’re aware of Hernangomez’s injury, but there’s no timeline yet for his recovery and return to the court.
- Warriors guard Stephen Curry said it was a “hard decision” not to play for Team USA at the Olympics this summer, but he has “no regrets at all” about opting to skip the event, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “You take everything into account,” said Curry, who has won a pair of FIBA World Cup gold medals but hasn’t played in the Olympics. “I take how I’m feeling physically, mentally, what’s happening around the league, all those things. It’s not one specific reason or a part of it, but just knowing at the end of the day do I want to play or not? And the answer was no at the end of the day. And getting ready for next season (with a) relatively quick turnaround is important to me and I have a plan of how to do that and get ready for when training camp starts.”
The select team missing half the roster at this point
Obviously I haven’t had an opportunity to play for the Olympics but if I did, I feel like it would be a no-brainer. I would love to represent my country. Just me?
Most years I would be right there with you. But traveling to a city that is currently under a state of emergency due to a pandemic that we have spent the last 18 months avoiding is not for me. Country or not.
Agreed. I think it’s incredibly stupid to be having them. I understand how devastating it would to cancel them again for all involved, but it’s just the right decision at this point.
Good point. I didn’t look at it that way.
I doubt the decision was that difficult for Curry, he’s just saying that to sound like a loyal patriot. It’s not as short an off-season as last year’s, but it’s still shorter than usual. And those who participate in the Olympics will have to deal with another turnaround about as short as the one in 2020.
Well, I imagine it was difficult in the sense that he hasnt done it yet, and some people look at that for their made up necessary accomplishments. The pandemic really hurt his ability to do it b/c if it happened last year, he likely would have been there. Honestly, there are a couple of players I would have preferred to see take this one off, but I dont really blame anyone either way
Well, it’s not like he doesn’t have two FIBA World Cup Gold Medals(2010, 2014) which I know isn’t the Olympics but it’s basically the Olympics…
I’d assume the experience is similar as far as playing for your country/against players representing their country…
He has 3 small young kids and a wife that has her career. With that he has his own off the court adventures that take up a lot of his time. Curry and Lebron have the most off court deals in the NBA. Given their age and off court duties you can’t blame them for not going.
Also a good point. I wasn’t thinking about his family and other adventures outside of basketball.
In a vacuum it is an easy decision to play in the olympics. The hard part is that these players just went through a season and generally need an offseason to recover for the next one. Then factor in how condensed this season was and how short last offseason was and it is enough harder.
Since the advent of USA Basketball, American players have pretty much wanted to play in the Olympics. It’s getting them to participate in other international tournaments (also part of their commitment) that has been a problem. In an Olympic year (when interest is generally high across the board), I view it as a positive that older guys (for whatever reason) are opting out, so long as (as here) it’s done timely.
This is why you don’t you use professional basketball players in the olympics.