ESPN and ABC NBA analyst Doris Burke he is among many who have contracted COVID-19 since the season was suspended on March 11, with the television and radio voice detailing his battle against the disease, discussing the return of the NBA and more in an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post.
“The thing I felt most was the fatigue and the headache” Burke said he has coronavirus. “So for a good stretch of the first two weeks, I was just thinking about having a bad flu, because my symptoms were not in line with what I was told were the main symptoms: shortness of breath, pressure on the chest – I didn’t have those frightening symptoms. So for quite some time, I didn’t think I had it. But then I finally decided to take the test.
“It took eight days to get the results, and when I got the test results, I was starting to get out of it. Was I afraid? I was a little anxious. I slept 16, 17 hours a day and the other time I didn’t get up out of bed, so I wasn’t doing much. “
Burke tested positive for COVID-19 in late March, becoming one of the first publicly known NBA figures to contract the virus. When asked about the challenges the NBA will face in trying to organize a return next month, she didn’t diminish the words.
“It’s a monster of a project to try to get it right and put it in place”, Burke said. “When I hear the players talking about pre-existing conditions or talking about their fears, I understand it perfectly. And one of the things I thought about most is that many of these kids have small children. You’re not just going down the bubble, but you’re going to leave that bubble at some point, and what do you do as a player if you’re the parent of a small child? Do you go to a hotel when you return to your respective market and quarantine yourself for two weeks and then stay away from your children longer to make sure “OK, I’m not positive”?
“The main thought I have in relation to fear does not necessarily have to do with myself, it has to do more with anyone who has not been infected, has had COVID, has recovered and has no immunity, because I worry. … As far as I know that the NBA will do absolutely everything in its power to make this environment as safe as possible, the fact is that the final negative result remains a possibility. There is an inherent risk that everyone who goes down to Orlando takes, and how you solve it in your mind is a very personal choice. And I don’t think we should criticize, judge or in any way, form or form have negative feelings for those who express concern, because it is legitimate and real. “
Burke also offered his views on several top league figures in the interview, including Gregg Popovich, Mark Jackson is Zion Williamson.
Here are some other notes related to the NBA break:
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban he is arguing that the NBA maintains a permanent change of plans, as detailed in The Dallas Morning News. The league is settling on a restart in late July with many of the typical off-season holidays taking place in October, although next season’s schedule is largely unknown at the moment.
- The 88 total seeding games in Orlando will be counted towards the normal season’s statistics, ESPN’s tweets on Bobby Marks. However, games starting March 11 will be used for all players who have bonuses in their contract.
- USA Today’s Mark Medina examines how Disney employees will work within the NBA bubble when the league resumes in Orlando. The first games will begin during the last week of July, with the NBA under pressure to ensure compliance with protocols and safety priorities.
