LeBron James angrily criticized the NBA’s health and safety protocols for the way in which his COVID-19 case was handled.
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James tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, forcing him to miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ road game that night against the Sacramento Kings.
The positive test for James came from a follow-up test after he had originally tested negative for the highly contagious virus. However, he was cleared on Thursday after two negative tests within a 24-hour period.
The 36-year-old James was especially frustrated because the testing not only kept him off the court, but also affected his personal life.
“Usually when you have a positive test, they’ll test you right away to make sure,” James said. “There was not a follow-up test after my positive test. It was straight to isolation and you’ve been put into protocol. That’s the part that kind of angered me. I had to figure out a way to get home from Sacramento by myself. They wouldn’t allow anyone to travel with me, no security, no anything, when I traveled back from Sacramento.
“And then I had to put my kids in isolation for the time being, the people in my household in isolation for the time being, so it was just a big-time inconvenience. That was the anger part.”
Despite having James back in the lineup, the Lakers dropped a 119-115 decision to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night to fall to 12-12 on the season. In that contest, James contributed 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals.
James has had a frustrating season, having dealt with an ankle injury, abdominal strain and one-game suspension preceding the COVID-19 situation. He and the Lakers are now focused on their next contest, which is a Tuesday night home game against the Boston Celtics.
