Despite some issues regarding the coronavirus tests of Dwight Howard and Danny Green, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel indicated that the NBA has cleared the two players to practice on Sunday night.
Vogel said there were “some glitches with the testing” for Dwight Howard and Danny Green, but they got it worked out with the league, and they’re cleared to practice tonight.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 12, 2020
Exactly what the glitches were in the tests of the two players is unknown, but the potential problem would have likely sidelined the duo until it was addressed.
The unprecedented circumstances of the NBA trying to restart the 2019-20 season have forced the league to adopt stringent safety protocols for each of the 22 teams that will be competing in Orlando, Fla.
Those protocols include frequent testing for the highly contagious virus that’s already claimed the lives of over 130,000 people in the United States alone.
While the NBA players competing in Orlando are being housed within a protective bubble, being able to absolutely guarantee that all players will follow the rules in place could be difficult to manage.
Magnifying that issue is the fact that the state of Florida has emerged as a dangerous hot spot for the virus, which reinforces why adhering to the protocols is so important.
For the Lakers, the resumption of the season that was suspended allows them to hopefully advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. At the time of the March 11 shutdown, the Lakers had a Western Conference-best record of 49-14.
The Lakers’ first game of the resumed season will take place on July 30 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
