Sacramento Kings head coach Alvin Gentry tested positive for COVID-19 and will not coach tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Woj reports that Gentry is mostly asymptomatic, which is good news.
Sacramento Kings coach Alvin Gentry tested positive for Covid and won’t coach vs. Wizards tonight, Gentry tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2021
Gentry needs successive negative tests 24 hours apart to return to bench. He says he’s largely asymptomatic, except for a scratchy throat. Sacramento will have an acting coach for its interim coach. https://t.co/W8LuxKY5z3
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2021
We’re still awaiting word on who will serve as acting coach for this game, but it will likely be either Doug Christie or Mike Longabardi. Longabardi is the more experienced coach and has served as acting coach in various scenarios before.
The league has seen a significant spike in players and coaches missing games in Health And Safety Protocols over the last week. Woj reports that the Kings cancelled morning shoot-around and is doing additional testing to determine if there are additional positive cases.
Kings cancelled morning shoot-around and team is testing to discover if there are more positive tests, sources tell ESPN. There’s no decision yet on an acting head coach for tonight, although assistants Mike Longabardi and Doug Christie are most likely candidates.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2021
We’ll hope that the Kings can avoid a major outbreak like we’ve seen hit other teams.
We will continue to update this story as we learn more.
Update: Doug Christie will coach Wednesday’s game.
Source says Doug Christie will serve as acting Kings coach tonight’s game. Alvin Gentry is out after testing positive.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) December 15, 2021
Yikes. Here’s to hoping he fully recovers. I also hope this isn’t the beginning of a string of positive tests for the team.
Random question, do we know if all these positive tests currently hitting the league are the new Omicron variant or is it the Delta variant?
I believe the testing indicated Davion variant. It totally shuts you down.
Will this joke go viral?
Bacterial, at best.
Nah, it’ll just be an off night for jokes all around.
It’s definitely only a matter of when, not if, the Omicron variant becomes the dominant variant, especially given it’s more transmissible compared to Delta.
I don’t recall seeing any reports about specific variants being tied to these outbreaks in the league.
Omicrom infections double every 2 days. Right now 3% of all infections but genomic testing does not always occur with every positive test.
While Delta is most likely culprit, the NBA is close knit community and if Omicrom got into the house that would explain the rapid recent spread.
The Pfitzer pill will soon be available but requires a positive test + to be taken within 5 days of onset of symptoms, preferably with 1-2 days. This acts differently than vaccines and will treat COVID but not confer ANY immunity.
The NFL is getting hit hard as well. Much of the country is in an enormous surge, so it wouldn’t be surprising if this is just Delta, with Omicron coming for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Not a thorough answer, but to your question:
Omicrom is about 3% of the total current infections (those tested). Statistically, makes sense that this is Delta breakthrough. But Omicrom infections are doubling every 2 days and the testing lags behind the actual infections. Omicrom spreading much faster than Delta. Vaccines protect against Dela for the most part and less so against Omicrom. The NBA is a tight knit community- and the spread seems fast- so my guess/suspicion is that Omicrom got in the NBA house and is the source of the spread. There is also a lag on genomic testing- so you can get a positive test but that positive does not tell you what variant.
Cancelled games on the rise. I suspect that will rise even more. Worse case is shutdown and what is the inflection point for that?
yes, the Davion variant will shut down the league.
Get well soon, coach.
Get well, AG!
If Doug will be the coach I would find it hard to believe that Vivek didn’t push that through.
I’d say Doug was pushed through by Vivek to sitting next to Gentry considering reports were that Vivek wanted Christie as HC. With that established, I don’t think we have a new associate head coach/lead assistant so it could be either Mike or Doug, So I guess I agree it’s just that the pushing through took place earlier.
Many employees think it’s Matina behind the Christie push much like Vlade and Peja!
Oh, please tell us more (if there is more to tell).
Narrator: There isn’t.
Get well AG! If Doug coaches and wins tonight, say hello to new HC Christie!
Hmmm, total NBA shutdown came early this year.
Nah, the ship has sailed on more shutdowns.
If teams can’t field enough players, that ship is on fire.
One would imagine they’d have to exhaust G-League rosters first.
It’s not quite the same thing as bringing in scabs as MLB did in ’94, but when you’ve paid for courtside seats at Fake Interwebs Money Scam Arena in Los Angeles to see Lebron & AD, I’m not sure that a bunch of undrafted guys is going to be satisfactory.
Dang, that sucks. 🙁 Here’s hoping for a speedy, full recovery for ya, coach.
I’m not usually one to give my opinion on the interwebs, but I really think that this COVID thing might actually suck.
Hot take!
Wishing Gentry a quick recovery! Such a likable person. He’s straightforward and actually speaks to and respects the fans of the team. The organization could take a lot of lessons from Gentry.
Very well put.
How is this possible? Aren’t they all vaccinated against covid?
I guess you can also ask:
How are car deaths possible when people wear seatbelts?
How are pregnancies possible when people wear condoms?
….How can the Warriors lose a game? Aren’t they the best team?
Someone missed the day where they taught science in high school.
yes, they undoubtedly are but may lack a booster. Even with boosters, there are breakthrough Delta variant infections which test positive and infections from Omicrom. The vaccines + booster prevent, for the most part, hospitalization and death but do not prevent al infections.
I suspect that the current rise of infections and protocols is due to lack of booster or exposure to new Omicrom variant.
Just in case this isn’t a snarky question. it’s the difference between 100% effective and not 100% effective. Vaccines reduce infections by a lot, and hospitalizations and deaths by a hell of a lot.
NBA:
“Acting coach?? I have coaching experience…”
“And I know a thing or two about acting!”
“Don’t forget Jazz Musician”
NBA Jazz: It’s all about the
notesplayoffs that you don’t play.Saxtown
…I dunno, I got nothin
Miles (away from the playoffs) Davis
Felonious Funk
John Col(world)trane
The Kings need an action coach so they can get more foul calls.
The Doug Era begins!
https://twitter.com/SactownAnthony/status/1471215784764395527
https://twitter.com/SactownAnthony/status/1471216930212118528
I kind of feel like that is a slap in the face of Longabardi. The guy has been an assistant coach in the league since 2003 and has been climbing the ranks since 1996. He is clearly the lead assistant under Gentry, but yet Christie, who’s had about 3 months of assistant coaching experience gets the tap.
What else could possibly go wrong with this team. DON’T ANSWER THAT!!!!!!
On a serious note, get well quickly coach.
on the plus side for Coach Gentry – he doesn’t have to watch the game tonight.
Hope for speedy recovery!
he will watch but all alone- that might be better or worse.
I watch alone.
And now that you mention it, it’s more depressing that way.
Wish I had some Kings friends to suffer with in front of a TV.
Badge Legend