Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood tested positive for coronavirus, multiple outlets reported Saturday night.
Wood becomes the third known NBA player to test positive for the virus. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, who played the Pistons last week, are the others.
The Pistons confirmed later Saturday night that a player on their team had tested positive, but they didn’t release the identity. The club said the player had been in self-isolation since Wednesday night.
“A preliminary positive result came back on March 14,” the club said in a statement. “The health and safety of our players, our organization, those throughout our league, and all those potentially impacted by this situation is paramount.
“We are working closely with team medical staff, state and local government and public health officials and the NBA on reporting. The individual will remain in isolation and under the care of team medical staff.”
The Athletic reported that Wood felt “subtle symptoms” on Thursday and decided to get tested as a precaution.
Wood’s agent, Adam Pensack, said the following to the Detroit News on Saturday night about Wood: “He feels 100 percent fine.”
Wood went up against the Jazz and Gobert on March 7 in Detroit, and the two got mixed up in an incident that resulted in double technical fouls.
Wood had 30 points and 11 rebounds in that game, while Gobert had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Videos from the game show many times where their bodies come together or their sweaty faces are in close proximity.
The 24-year-old Wood was in the midst of a breakout season prior to play being suspended Wednesday night after Gobert’s positive test. Mitchell’s test came back positive on Thursday.
Wood averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 62 games. The UNLV product had a career-best 32 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, official Courtney Kirkland’s coronavirus test came back negative, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Kirkland was one of the officials assigned to Wednesday’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and host Sacramento Kings that was postponed.
Kirkland had worked the Jazz’s game on Monday in Salt Lake City against the Toronto Raptors. After news of Gobert’s positive test broke, players on the Pelicans and Kings became aware that Kirkland had officiated the game involving Gobert and expressed their reluctance to play the game to NBA officials.
The game was canceled a short time later.
According to ESPN, Kirkland is now cleared to leave Sacramento and can resume all activities without restriction.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
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