Ten days ago, NBA legend Charles Barkley announced he was feeling ill. Some good news came Monday, test results reveal Barkley tested negative for the novel coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
“I’ve received my COVID-19 test results this morning and they are negative,” Barkley said in a statement Monday. “I’d like to thank everyone for reaching out and expressing your concern and support. You all be safe and please take the necessary actions to help ensure your well-being.”
The colorful and sometimes controversial analyst of TNT’s Inside The NBA called in on March 12 to address health concerns. Barkley stated that he was feeling sick and was going into self-isolation while undergoing tests.
“I’m just kind of in limbo right now. I’m hoping, I’m really hoping, it was just a bug,” Barkley said on his show almost two weeks ago. “I was in New York earlier this week, and that was a hot spot. When I got to Atlanta, I just wasn’t feeling well. I took the test, I haven’t gotten the results back yet, and that’s where I’m at now.”
The announcement came one day following the indefinite suspension of the NBA. The league indefinitely halted operations following the positive test of Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert. Gobert became the first athlete to test positive in the sports world.
The suspension of NBA operations would mark the beginning of a sports apocalypse, shutting down nearly all sports operations. Other sports organizations such as MLS, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, the PGA Tour and the NCAA are among others who have suspended their operations.
The 57-year-old Barkley was an 11-time All-Star and 1993 NBA MVP. The two-time Basketball Hall of Fame inductee averaged 22.1 points and 11.7 rebounds in his 16 years in the league, playing stints in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston.
