The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says adults over 65 are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. But if the 2019-20 NBA season resumes, that isn’t going to stop Mike D’Antoni from continuing his usual job as head coach of the Houston Rockets.
One reason for his confidence is because he is able to take precautions, and he hopes that others around the country will, as well.
Now 69 years old, previous reports indicated that D’Antoni plans to coach the Rockets while taking “basic precautions,” such as wearing a mask. In a new interview Tuesday with ESPN broadcaster Mark Jones, D’Antoni made it clear that he strongly believes the rest of us should do the same.
The segment began when Jones asked D’Antoni about the charity efforts that he and his wife, Laurel, have led during the pandemic. In late March, they donated $100,000 to the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, and D’Antoni told Jones that the work hasn’t stopped there.
Regarding his wife, who also continues to lead Hurricane Harvey recovery initiatives in the Houston area, D’Antoni said:
She’s hired a bunch of people to make masks, which we all could use. They’ve made close to a thousand masks so far, and they keep going at it. They’re trying to give it out to churches, to people that can’t afford them or don’t have them. That’s a big deal.
From there, D’Antoni made an impassioned plea for everyone listening to wear those masks when out in public. He said:
I know it’s an inconvenience for people to wear a mask. Nobody wants to, especially because it’s going to get hot here in Houston. But, why wouldn’t you? We’re talking eight months. You cannot tell me that you can’t wear a mask when you need to for eight months, so that everybody can go back to work and be as safe as they can. It’s not for you, I get it. But it’s for everybody else. You can’t do that? Are you serious? It just drives me crazy. That’s the stuff of being selfish. It just takes a loved one to die. … Put a mask on when you’re in public. It’s not that hard.
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other distancing measures are difficult to maintain. The agency says this can slow the spread of the virus while also preventing people who may not know they have the virus from transmitting it to others.
[lawrence-related id=29615,27388]