Celtics Guard Marcus Smart Tests Positive for Coronavirus (original) (raw)

Celtics guard Marcus Smart has tested positive for the coronavirus, he announced in a video on Twitter.

The team announced Thursday evening that a player had tested positive, but did not identify the player. A short time later, Smart confirmed that he has COVID-19.

"I just found out I tested positive for the coronavirus," he said in the video. "I'm OK, I feel fine. I don't feel any of the symptoms. But I can't stress enough practicing social distancing and really, you know, keeping yourself away from a large group of people."

Smart urged people to wash their hands and help protect themselves and others.

"I’m OK, I feel fine, I don’t feel any of the symptoms," he said. "But I can’t stress enough practicing social distancing, and really keeping yourself away from a large group of people, and just really washing your hands and help protect yourself and help protect others by protecting yourself."

I was tested 5 days ago and the results came back tonight, which were positive. Ive been self quarantined since the test, thank goodness. COVID-19 must be taken w the highest of seriousness. I know it’s a #1 priority for our nations health experts, & we must get more testing ASAP pic.twitter.com/xkijb9wlKV

— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) March 19, 2020

In the team's press release, it noted that the player was tested because of contact with a known positive case.

The Utah Jazz visited the Celtics on March 6, and two of the team's players have since tested positive. Smart played in that game.

A photo of Smart and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert from Getty Images

Other NBA players have also been diagnosed with the virus. Since it was confirmed that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had the illness, his teammate Donovan Mitchell, Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood, and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, among others, have all revealed that they have COVID-19.

At a news conference Sunday, Walsh issued an urgent plea for residents to engage in social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

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