Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris recently revealed he severely sprained his ankle in the team’s final regular season game against the Los Angeles Lakers before the NBA went on its coronavirus hiatus. The ankle sprain was so severe, he was expecting to miss an extended period of time.
“So I was going to be out a month, no matter what, and then (the NBA shutdown) went down literally the next day,” Harris told his alma mater’s newspaper, the UVA Daily. “I wasn’t even with the team. I flew back to New York with one of our trainers, and we were supposed to play at Golden State (on March 12). The rest of the team was in San Francisco, and they just had to pack up their stuff and leave from there.”
The NBA has since suspended its season and, as a preventative measure against the spread of the coronavirus, the league also shut down its practice facilities. But Harris said he goes into the facility for rehab every day due to a loophole he discovered.
“The only loophole that I have right now is that the NBA allowed guys that were in the midst of rehab go into the facility and work with the trainer, so I’ve been able to do that for the last few weeks,” he said. “But when I go in, I have to wear a mask and gloves the entire time, and only you and the trainer are allowed in there.
“Everything’s shut down,” Harris said. “I just do rehab, and I do it with one trainer, and it’s just the two of us in the entire facility, so it’s a little strange, because when you go in there, it’s usually hustling and bustling, with a lot going on and good energy, and now there’s just two of you in there.”
The Nets were one of several teams directly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak that has taken the United States by storm. As of May 4, the country now leads the world with 1.2 million confirmed cases and about 70,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
Brooklyn had four of its players test positive for the coronavirus upon returning from its West Coast trip that had been abruptly cut short. One of those four players was exhibiting symptoms, while the other three were asymptomatic. Kevin Durant told The Athletic he tested positive for COVID-19, while Nets GM Sean Marks told reporters on April 1 that players, coaches, front office and staffers had been clear of the coronavirus for 14 days.
Marks also said interim coach Jacque Vaughn was working with team trainers to ensure the players get what they need during the quarantine.
“The Nets have been really good about everything, especially early on,” Harris told White. “They brought equipment by our apartments, so we all have free weights and bikes, and even now they bring our meals by for us. So we’re pretty fortunate that way.”
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