NEW YORK (AFP) – The NBA reported zero positive COVID-19 cases for the fourth consecutive week on Wednesday in the latest round of testing carried out at the league’s “bubble” in Orlando, Florida.
The league said that of all 342 players tested for COVID-19 on the NBA campus at Disney World since last Wednesday, none returned confirmed positive tests.
“In the event that a player on the NBA campus returns a confirmed positive test in the future, he will be isolated until he is cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association,” the NBA said in a statement.
Since players began entering the NBA ”bubble” at Orlando, none have tested positive for the virus.
Two players tested positive upon arrival in Florida last month, but neither had fully cleared quarantine for admittance into the NBA’s safe zone.
The NBA relaunched its season two weeks ago after a four-month shutdown due to the pandemic, with 22 teams playing without spectators and set to complete the regular season on Friday and 16 advancing to the NBA playoffs that begin Monday.
Celtics re-sign Stevens
Meantime, Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who twice guided his squad into the NBA Eastern Conference finals, has signed a contract extension with the club, the team announced Wednesday.
Details of the deal were not disclosed but it came with the Celtics at 48-23 and seeded third in the Eastern Conference playoffs that begin next week, their sixth post-season appearance in seven seasons under Stevens.
”Brad is one of the most intelligent and hard-working coaches in the game today,” said Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. ”More importantly, his character and integrity have contributed to a culture that we all highly value.
”Brad is a great teammate and a leader people want to follow. We are honored to have him with us as we continue to pursue our next championship.”
Stevens, who took charge of the Celtics in July 2013, has a 318-245 record in nearly seven full seasons with Boston.
”We’re thrilled that Brad Stevens will continue to be our coach,” Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca said. ”He has become one of the best coaches in the NBA, and is a real leader on and off the court.”
Stevens, 43, coached Boston into the 2017 and 2018 East finals, the first time the Celtics went that far in back-to-back campaigns since the 1987 and 1988 playoffs.
