NBA News Update: Dana White suggests COVID-positive players are taking the floor in Orlando Bubble, Billy Donovan snubbed contract offer before exit
With the NBA finals getting close, the intensity of the playoff games has increased. Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors played an overtime thriller, while the Denver Nuggets could not beat the LA Clippers in the fourth game of the Western Conference semi-finals. It is tough to keep up with the latest NBA news updates with so much going on in the Bubble.
Here are some NBA news updates that you might have missed -
In some controversial NBA news, Dana White claims there are COVID-positive athletes playing in the league
UFC President Dana White recently spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention. He claimed that the UFC is the only sports organization that is taking the right measures to protect the players from getting infected with the coronavirus.
White also added that COVID-positive players are taking the floor in the NBA and MLB. Here's what the UFC head honcho said:
"One of the things that we’re not doing that the other sports are doing is there’s people that keep testing positive, right? Positive, positive, positive, but they have no symptoms and they’re not contagious. They’re letting those guys play if it’s in the NBA or Major League Baseball. We’re not. I mean that’s the difference."
Dana White's comments are quite controversial because, since the restart, no NBA player who has tested positive for coronavirus has been allowed in the Orlando Bubble.
Stars who were affected by COVID-19 at any point were requested to quarantine at their home and join the Bubble after recovering. It would be interesting to see if anyone from the NBA fraternity will react to White's comments.
Billy Donovan reportedly passed on OKC Thunder's contract renewal offer before the NBA restart
In other NBA news, OKC Thunder reportedly offered former head coach Billy Donovan a new contract with two guaranteed seasons before the official NBA restart. Donovan rejected the offer and the two sides decided to have a conversation about his future at the end of the season.
Both the parties could not come to an agreement, and Billy Donovan left the Thunder by mutual consent on Tuesday.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 players Milwaukee Bucks must go after in the off-season to partner Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the last bit of NBA news, The Athletic's Fred Katz shares an interesting anecdote about Jared Dudley and P.J. Tucker
In the last NBA news update for today, Fred Katz of The Athletic shared an interesting anecdote about P.J. Tucker and Jared Dudley from the beginning of this NBA season.
Katz interviewed Houston Rockets' Tucker and informed him that he was second in 'blow-by rate' - a stat which indicates how many times a player has blown by against his opponents.
When Tucker asked him who was first, Katz confirmed it was his good friend Jared Dudley of the LA Lakers. Tucker was not impressed and replied by saying:
"I'm insulted".
Stay tuned for more NBA news updates over the next few days.
Also read: NBA News Update: Houston Rockets star Danuel House under investigation for inviting a female testing official to his room, likely to miss rest of the series