The COVID-19 outbreak has millions of Americans staying home in an effort to curb the virus.
That said, some people haven’t exactly been abiding by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to limit social exposure as the coronavirus spreads.
And that does not sit well with Enes Kanter whatsoever.
The Boston Celtics big man has been one of the NBA’s biggest advocates for safety during the outbreak, frequently urging fans to take proper precautions to protect their health. So images of people ignoring the CDC’s recommendation bother Kanter, who’s been self-isolating since the C’s returned to Boston from Milwaukee after the NBA indefinitely suspended the 2019-20 season two weeks ago.
So, Kanter has a message for those choosing to put themselves and the public in harm’s way.
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“When you are not social distancing or self-isolating or just self-quarantining yourself, you’re a big selfish person,” Kanter told NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg on the latest episode of “The Enes Kanter Show.” “Because you’re affecting maybe thousands or maybe millions of people. You can be fine, but … say you are 25 and you get the virus and you (think you) are going to be fine, but maybe you give it to some old people … they can be affected by it. So I’m just like hey, be smart. Just stay in your house until they say we’re good to go outside, I guess.”
Brilliant.
The NBA has seen exactly what can happen when people ignore requests for self-isolation. Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert didn’t take the coronavirus seriously until he became the first NBA player to test positive. Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell tested positive for the virus shortly after, as did Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood, who played the Jazz within two weeks of the league shutting down. (It’s unclear if they actually caught the virus from Gobert, however.)
At least 10 NBA players have tested positive for the virus.
