Buddy Hield and Jabari Parker join Kings in NBA bubble after recovering from COVID-19
Kings guard Buddy Hield joined the team in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday after clearing COVID-19 protocols, but he will have to wait a couple days before he can participate in practice.
In a Zoom call with reporters Sunday, Kings coach Luke Walton confirmed Hield and forward Jabari Parker had arrived after recovering from COVID-19. The Kings will take a day off Monday after three days of practice, but Walton hopes Hield and Parker will be able to practice Tuesday.
Walton said the threat of the coronavirus presents a challenge for all teams as they prepare to resume the NBA season July 30.
“With the pandemic and players getting sick and coming in and out, that’s where it gets more challenging,” Walton said. “It’s going to be: Can we keep guys healthy? Do they get cleared? When they get cleared, how long does it take to get back into playing shape?”
On Saturday evening, Hield told The Sacramento Bee he would join the Kings in Orlando “soon.” On Sunday morning, Hield posted a brief clip to his Instagram story as he prepared to board a Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jet capable of cross-country flight. He later posted on Snapchat from inside the airplane, kicking his feet up and munching on donuts.
Hield and Parker will be required to quarantine in their rooms at Walt Disney World’s Yacht Club Resort. They must test negative for COVID-19 twice at least 24 hours apart before they can participate in team activities. The same was required of all players, coaches and staff who entered the bubble when teams arrived last week.
Walton hinted help was on the way during a Zoom session with reporters Saturday. Walton declined to name the four members of the team’s travel party who did not make the trip to Orlando last week due to COVID-19 protocols, but he said two of those individuals had been cleared to join the team.
“We’re going to continue to respect the privacy of the travel party as far as who’s not with us,” Walton said. “I can tell you that two of the people that did not travel with us have had back-to-back negative tests now, so they will be joining us in Orlando soon.”
Hield, Parker, Alex Len and a fourth unidentified member of the organization tested positive for COVID-19 in the days and weeks before the team departed for Orlando. Hield and Len are believed to have tested positive June 22, the first day NBA teams conducted mandatory testing after players returned to home markets. Parker said he tested positive several days earlier in Chicago.
The Kings closed their practice facility after reporting the fourth positive test July 5. The team has not indicated if that individual is a player, coach or staff member, but other than Hield, Len and Parker, Harrison Barnes is the only Kings player who hasn’t been seen in photos, videos or social media posts from Orlando.
The status of Len and Barnes was unknown as the Kings held their third day of practice Sunday. Under the NBA’s health and safety guidelines, any player who tests positive must quarantine and produce two negative tests results before receiving medical clearance to make the trip to Florida. Protocols also require players who test positive to refrain from exercise training for a period of two weeks from the date of the first positive test or the resolution of viral symptoms, whichever date is later.
Kings upcoming schedule
July 31 vs. Spurs, 5 p.m. (NBCS)
Aug. 2 vs. Magic, 3 p.m. (NBCS, NBA TV)
Aug. 4 vs. Mavericks, 11:30 a.m. (NBCS)
Aug. 6 vs. Pelicans, 10:30 a.m. (NBCS, NBA TV)
Aug. 7 vs. Nets, 2 p.m. (NBCS)
Aug. 9 vs. Rockets, 5 p.m. (NBCS)
Aug. 11 vs. Pelicans, 6 p.m. (NBCS, TNT)
Aug. 13 vs. Lakers, TBD (NBCS)
This story was originally published July 12, 2020 at 1:52 PM.
