Like Russell Westbrook, veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute was also a late arrival at the NBA “bubble” in Florida, where the Houston Rockets and 21 other teams will resume their 2019-20 regular season within days.
As it turns out, Mbah a Moute was also delayed for the same reason as Westbrook was: a positive test for COVID-19. He confirmed the news in a media session Monday, prior to Houston’s team practice.
But unlike Westbrook, who said he was mostly without symptoms, Mbah a Moute wasn’t as lucky. The 33-year-old said Monday that he suffered from chills, body aches, a fever, and more.
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“I was sick. I had the COVID,” said Mbah a Moute, who had to test negative for the coronavirus before traveling to Florida — and also on the two days after arriving — in order to join his teammates. He continued:
I was actually sick and down for like 10 days. Then recovering and all of that stuff, and then getting the testing. That’s why I was delayed. … I had a lot of symptoms. Obviously, it wasn’t too bad to where I had to go to the hospital, or anything like that. It was being down, fatigued, chills, cold… body aches, and all of that stuff.
It was tough. Another hurdle to climb. You feel for people who had it, and it makes you realize how serious this is. I’m blessed to have come out of it, and I pray for those who are going through it. It’s a tough position to be in. It was scary.
Mbah a Moute, who signed his contract earlier this month in Houston, said he was isolated in a hotel room.
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“The biggest thing for me, I was in the hotel room,” he said. So that’s not easy. When you’re at home, you kind of feel different. … But I was in a hotel room dealing with it.”
Luc Mbah a Moute confirming his delay was due to COVID.
"It was tough. I'm blessed to come out of it. I pray for those in this situation. By the grace of the Lord I got through it." #Rockets pic.twitter.com/y14sKXceFe
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 27, 2020
Mbah a Moute is effectively replacing Thabo Sefolosha, who opted not to participate in the NBA restart. Two years ago, the 6-foot-8 forward was a very valuable piece for head coach Mike D’Antoni and the Rockets, who benefited greatly from his defensive versatility.
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Due to injuries, Mbah a Moute has only played in four NBA games since the start of the 2018-19 season, and none this season. Combine that with his late arrival to training camp (due to COVID-19) and not having played in scrimmages prior to the season’s resumption, and the odds seem to be again Mbah a Moute earning playing time in the near future.
“It’s going to be tough, there’s no doubt about it,” D’Antoni said on Monday. “Realistically, if nobody gets hurt and everybody is playing pretty well, I don’t know [if Mbah a Moute will play].”
Nonetheless, D’Antoni has said he expects Mbah a Moute to be a “great presence in the locker room,” and he will now have an opportunity to begin making an impression on the practice court.
Whether he eventually plays or not, he does appear to have his health. Ultimately, Mbah a Moute — who said Monday that he is now feeling better — knows that’s the most important thing.
“It’s serious,” he said. “I think a lot of people don’t get the symptoms or get some light symptoms, but for people who have the symptoms, it’s hard. It makes you realize how tough it is to go through this. I was just fortunate and thankful to the Lord that I was able to come out on top.”
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