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“Hey NBA, you should look into the NFL COVID policy and panic less”: D’Angelo Russell calls out the league for being overcautious with their Health and Safety Protocols

Samir Mehdi
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“Hey NBA, you should look into the NFL COVID policy and panic less”: D’Angelo Russell calls out the league for being overcautious with their Health and Safety Protocols

D’Angelo Russell takes to Twitter to personally call out the NBA for being overprotective of their players against COVID. 

Seems as though D’Angelo Russell has had enough of the NBA and their overcautious attitude towards handling COVID-19 scares across the league. The league has been hit quite hard over the past month with cases rising, leading to over 25% of the league being placed in Health and Safety Protocols. 

The NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols revolves players being sidelined from the game for a minimum of 10 days. Depending on whether or not the player has been vaccinated, the restrictions on that player increase or decrease.

Also read: “Nobody in the NBA dared doubt Kevin Durant!”: LeBron James reveals how he felt about Nets star’s devastating Achilles injury right after he completed his rehab

An unvaccinated player will have to undergo daily testing and be isolated from the rest of his teammates and staff until he returns a negative test. Vaccinated player can mingle with their teammates as long as they return a negative test. 

D’Angelo Russell is teammates with Karl Anthony-Towns and so has seen firsthand what COVID could do if not looked after properly. Yet, he still feels as though the league is being a bit too stringent with their protocols. 

D’Angelo Russell on the recent Health and Safety Protocols. 

D’Angelo Russell kept it plain and simple on Twitter as he called out the NBA for placing way too many players in Health and Safety Protocols. “Hey NBA we should look into the NFL policy and panic less,” said the Timberwolves guard. 

Also read: “How much more help does LeBron James want or need?”: Despite a star studded roster, the Lakers have a losing record for the season

The main difference between the NBA and the NFL’s policies on Health and Safety Protocols is the production of a negative test. The NBA requires players to produce two negative tests 24 hours apart from one another. 

The NFL on the other hand, though it does require two negative tests, they do not have to be spaced out from one another with a 24 hours gap between them. They could be done back-to-back, reducing the amount of time it takes for a player to get back out on the floor. 

Other differences also come with the simple fact that the NFL isn’t as cautious as the league when it comes to players having potentially interacted with someone who also may or may not have tested positive. 

Safe to say that the NBA did rain on the Christmas Day parade with having marquee players like Kevin Durant and Trae Young out for their December 25th matchups. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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