And uncertainty surrounding protocols continues to circulate.
The Houston Rockets’ eight-time All-Star James Harden is reported to need six consecutive negative COVID-19 test results in order for the NBA to clear him for team practice, a league source told ESPN.
Harden did not visit the Toyota Center for COVID-19 testing until Tuesday – two days following the Rockets’ first team practice session. Fortunately, if he continues to test negative for the virus, he could receive the green light for practice resuming Monday.
The league required players to test negative for COVID-19 for three straight days before being eligible to enter team facilities for individual workouts prior to training camp. Additionally, players were required to quarantine (save for testing and workouts at the facility, or essential activities like grocery shopping).
The Rockets still remained uncertain about Harden’s status following Wednesday’s practice, as they were awaiting word from the NBA about the COVID-19 protocols.
“We’re just trying to iron all that stuff out right now,” explained first-year Rockets coach Stephen Silas. “I wish I had a good answer for you. I wish I had a better answer for you when it comes to all that, but I don’t.”
Silas had also noted that free-agent signee Sterling Brown also had yet to practice with the Rockets due to COVID-19 safety protocols.
“It’s really hard to kind of put a finger on what the protocol looks like at this point just because of how the timing is,” Silas said. “It’s not the same timing that everybody else had, right? As far as when he can start doing individual workouts, when he can join the team, when he can practice, we’re working with the NBA, trying to figure out exactly when that is.
“But as far as I know right now, there isn’t a clear plan as far as what that looks like, just because it’s outside of the way that we were doing it with the original group.”
Harden was reported to have attended rapper Lil Baby’s birthday party in Atlanta over the weekend wearing no mask, and then went on to spend a few nights in Las Vegas attending nightclubs where he also did not wear a mask – thus violating the league’s coronavirus protocols.