Russell Westbrook set to arrive in Florida for NBA restart
NBA announces that there have been zero positive tests on campus since the last results were announced on July 13
Monday 20 July 2020 22:25, UK
Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni says star point guard Russell Westbrook will arrive in Florida on Monday.
Westbrook, who announced July 13 he had tested positive for the coronavirus, will quarantine in his hotel room at the Walt Disney World resort until he has negative readings on two COVID-19 tests at least 24 hours apart.
"He is about ready to land here pretty soon," D'Antoni told reporters on Monday.
News of Westbrook's arrival came shortly before the NBA confirmed that there had been no positive returns in their latest round of testing.
A week ago the league announced two positive tests from players in quarantine, but the clear round of testing is a positive sign ahead of the season's scheduled resumption on July 31.
"Of the 346 players tested for COVID-19 on the NBA campus since test results were last announced on July 13, zero have returned confirmed positive tests," an NBA statement said.
D'Antoni said Westbrook, the NBA's 2016-17 MVP, is unlikely to play on Friday in the first of Houston's three scrimmages, but the Rockets are hopeful to have him back this weekend.
Westbrook, 31, averaged 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 53 games before the season came to a halt on March 11 amid the pandemic.
"I do expect that once he clears everything that he'll be ready to go 5-on-5 and all that," D'Antoni said.
"I would think Friday might be a little early. That'll be up to the medical staff and Russell himself and see how he feels in the days before. Hopefully, he'll get in a couple of scrimmages and then be ready for us to play."
The nine-time All-Star was playing in his first season with the Rockets after being acquired in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer.
Westbrook played 11 seasons with the Thunder, highlighted by a 2016-17 campaign in which he earned NBA MVP honours after averaging a career-best 31.6 points to go along with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.
"Any time you miss a key piece like that, it makes it a little bit more difficult, but I know he'll be ready," D'Antoni said.
"So on one side, we're just anxious to get him. It'll give everybody a little pep in their step, but there was no doubt before. The energy has been great. These guys have been practising hard, so it's just one step closer to being whole. We can get him in there and work on a couple of things and get ready."
Earlier on Monday, Westbrook confirmed reports that his clothing brand Honor the Gift has partnered with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to design shirts carrying social justice messages for players to wear in Orlando.
The move comes after several prominent NBA players, including LeBron James, were left unsatisfied by the NBA's list of approved social justice messages that players would be allowed to wear on their game jerseys.
It remains unclear whether players will just wear the shirts around the campus in Orlando, or whether they could be allowed to wear them to warm-up in on court before televised games.
Westbrook wrote on Twitter: "Honor the Gift is extremely proud to collaborate with the NBPA to create a collection of shirts that allow us players to shed light on social injustice, and honor the victims and families of those who continue to inspire us."
