Russell Westbrook Reveals He Tested Positive for COVID-19

Eli Countryman
·2 min read

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Houston Rockets player Russell Westbrook said he is in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.

According to a post shared on Westbrook’s Twitter, the basketball player’s team continued on to Orlando, where he hopes to rejoin them once he is cleared to do so. While he said he feels well, Westbrook also used the opportunity to express thanks for the support he’s receiving at this time.

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“I tested positive for COVID-19 prior to my teams departure to Orlando,” his post read. “I’m currently feeling well, quarantined, and looking forward to joining my teammates when I am cleared.”

He also urged his followers to consider the gravity of the current pandemic and wear masks to lower the likelihood of contributing to its spread.

“Please take this virus seriously,” his statement read. “Be safe. Mask up! #whynot”

Westbrook’s decision to publicize his contraction of the coronavirus comes on the heels of a recent increase in positive tests across the United States. Texas, his team’s home state, has alone seen thousands of new confirmed cases each day.

The point guard is the first reported positive case of COVID-19 on his team, but a number of other NBA players have tested positive, as well. The NBA briefly suspended the 2019-2020 season in response to pandemic-related concerns, but the season will begin again on July 30.

Westbrook, who was traded in 2019 after a successful career alongside Oklahoma City Thunder that began in 2008, is not scheduled to play in Orlando alongside the Houston Rockets until July 24, where he will scrimmage against the Toronto Raptors.

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