BOSTON (AP) — Celtics coach Brad Stevens can only remember leaving his home on a few occasions over the past two weeks.
It is part of the new status quo for coaches and players across the NBA since the coronavirus pandemic sparked a rolling shutdown of professional sports across the globe. The league suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert became its first player to test positive for the COVID-19 strain.
Like everyone else, the 42-year-old coach is left searching for ways to adjust to a new reality and daily routine.
The new coronavirus has triggered a worldwide pandemic, infecting a minimum of 597,000 and resulting in over 27,000 deaths globally. It has devastated economies and necessitated movement restrictions for millions of individuals to prevent the virus from spreading further and overburdening healthcare systems.
So far, the NBA has cancelled 100 games and it remains uncertain when or even if the season will resume.
Stevens stated that he is spending his time in the same manner as many others nationwide.
“He expressed, “I make an effort to comply with all the instructions given to us. We go for walks… However, my thoughts are constantly with those who are directly battling with this situation. It’s just overwhelming to see their struggle.”
Stevens strives to maintain his connection with his family and the Celtics’ family as best he can throughout the day.
Together with his wife Tracy, he created a PowerPoint presentation for his 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter to help them understand the scale of the pandemic in New England and globally.
He has also been joining video conference calls with his players and coaching staff. However, he mentioned that the focus has been less on basketball and more on ensuring everyone’s safety.
“He said, ‘You know that, like the rest of the world, we’re also placing basketball in a far back seat.'”
Marcus Smart, a guard for the Celtics, revealed that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 19. On March 6, Boston had a game against the Utah Jazz.
Stevens mentioned that the day Gobert’s positive test was disclosed to the public “will be an event that we all will likely remember.”
Stevens reported that Smart is doing well. In a precautionary measure, tests were also conducted on Celtics players and staff, but all results came back negative.
“It’s clear that we’re entering a new world in the days following this event,” said Stevens. “We’re labeling staying at home as an inconvenience, which seems laughable under the circumstances. There are countless individuals working tirelessly every day to assist our communities, often putting their own safety on the line. Every time you switch on the TV, the reality of the situation becomes even more apparent.”
Stevens doesn’t believe it’s currently suitable “to be intensely focused on basketball” with his players, however, they are still accomplishing some work during their free time.
Every player has been provided with exercise bikes and a personal weight set for optional home workouts. Stevens is also getting a head-start on some of the postseason film study that he usually wouldn’t finish until post-season.
He stated, “It assists us in pinpointing our tasks when we can resume play and what to concentrate on when we return to practice. It would be an unusual circumstance to have such a long break and then need to adjust and recondition. However, a system is already in place with those 15 players.”
Stevens stated that his current focus is on staying active instead of attempting to forecast when he could fully return to basketball.
“He expressed his opinion, saying, “There’s a lot to figure out. However, we can’t reach any conclusions until we have a timeline, which seems almost impossible to establish at the moment.”
