This week, the NBA saw its first game postponements of the year when 10 of the 15-man Chicago Bulls roster was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, which require players to isolate following a positive test. The apparent outbreak in Chicago is not the only COVID exposure in the league: A little north in Milwaukee, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks guard Wes Matthews are also in quarantine. Less than two hours before the Brooklyn Nets tip-off against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, James Harden was required to isolate. According to ESPN, 36 of the league’s 51 positive cases this year have occurred in the last two weeks.
Over in the NHL, multiple postponements have taken place: With nine of their players out, the Calgary Flames delayed three games this week. The Carolina Hurricanes also postponed their Tuesday night game, growing the league-wide tally to nine for suspended games this season. And with the league expected to go on pause next year so players on national teams can attend the 2022 Winter Olympics, the NHL Players’ Association executive director has said he is growing frustrated with a lack of “concrete answers” from the Beijing organizing committee on pandemic protocols, leading to some concerns about just how many pros will be in China in February.
The NFL, with its substantially larger rosters, is getting hit with even more COVID cases. ESPN reports that within the past two days, 75 players have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Los Angeles Rams are one of the harder hit teams, with 10 players, including Odell Beckham Jr., on their reserve-COVID-19 list as of Tuesday. The Cleveland Browns and the Washington Football Team currently have eight players each who have tested positive, while the Detroit Lions have seven in quarantine.
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