“I just thought it was unprofessional how the league handled COVID-19 and we are here now”: Sixers star Joel Embiid criticizes the NBA’s handling of the Covid outbreak in 2021-22

Akash Murty | 18/12/2021
"I just thought it was unprofessional how the league handled COVID-19 and we are here now": Sixers star Joel Embiid criticizes the NBA's handling of the Covid outbreak in 2021-22

Sixers superstar Joel Emiid calls out the NBA as it fails in stopping the outbreak of COVID-19 among multiple teams.

As of Wednesday morning, 60 players had entered the league’s health and safety protocols this season, including 43 over the past two weeks, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

Several teams are in the midst of outbreaks, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls have seen two games postponed because 10 of their squad members are out due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Nets are currently without seven players, while the Lakers are down five. The Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings also have five players under protocols, while the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks have four each.

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Some of the league’s best players are currently in COVID-19 protocols, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. So now it should become a major concern for the league and even though they realised it late, it might still stop the outbreak.

Joel Embiid criticizes the NBA’s management of their most recent COVID-19 outbreak

Although the Philadelphia 76ers have just one player out due to the protocols in Georges Niang, their leader Joel Embiid came out to speak of the league’s mishandling of the whole COVID-19 situation this season.

Rarely anyone in the league understands the severity of the infection from the virus more than the Philadelphia big man who recently recovered from COVID-19. And has openly accepted his near-death experience.

Though there have been outbreaks in multiple teams now, there haven’t been any postponements apart from the Chicago games. The league and franchises have clearly failed to control the outbreaks, which should have been easier for them having done it twice.

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There could be more postponements on the way if the NBA continues this way. Increased testings would surely help but similar strict rules like last season should be adopted if the league wants to stop the outbreak.

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
COVID Protocols COVID-19 Joel Embiid

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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