MANILA – Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has tested negative for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), while three of his teammates were positive.
The former Gilas Pilipinas guard said in an Instagram post on March 13 that he was negative from COVID-19.
The NBA was prompted to postpone its 2019-2020 season after they discovered Clarkson’s teammates Rudy Gobert, Emmanuel Mudiay and star guard Donoval Mitchell tested positive for the virus.
“Thank you for all the love and prayers sent my way! I have been tested and I am good, wild 24 hours. Glad I am healthy! Keeping my teammates @spidadmitchell & @rudygobert27 in my heart as they get better going through this process! Love,” Clarkson said.
Gobert, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was said to be the source of the COVID-19. It was reported that he broke a protocol by deliberately touching all the microphones and tape recorders during media availability on March 9.
He was able to pass the virus to Mudiay and Mitchell after being “careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings,” according to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.
The players of the teams that the Utah Jazz faced within the last 10 days, namely the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors, have been told to do self-quarantine./PN
