Tag: Mike D’Antoni

Report: Houston doctor clears Mike D’Antoni to coach at NBA restart

An independent doctor in Houston has reportedly given Mike D’Antoni medical clearance to coach the Rockets upon the NBA’s restart.

The decision isn’t yet final, but Mike D’Antoni could be a step closer to continuing in his role as Houston Rockets head coach upon the NBA’s July restart at a neutral “bubble” complex near Orlando.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says adults over 65 years old are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and D’Antoni is now 69. Other head coaches in that category are San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (71) and Alvin Gentry (65) of New Orleans.

As such, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently suggested that “certain coaches” might not be allowed to coach from the bench upon the league’s restart. During games, NBA coaches frequently interact with players inside of the CDC’s physical distancing recommendation of six feet.

But Silver walked back those comments within hours, and Rockets GM Daryl Morey subsequently said that D’Antoni will continue in his usual role as head coach of the Rockets. D’Antoni has said he wants to coach, although he plans to take basic precautions, such as wearing a mask.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported that D’Antoni has received clearance from an independent Houston doctor, which could satisfy the NBA’s latest criteria. They write:

D’Antoni recently shared the same medical information that league doctors would evaluate with an independent doctor in Houston and was given clearance to coach the Rockets in the Orlando restart, sources said.

The league does have a process by which it could challenge that decision, though. As part of its extensive health and safety protocols sent to teams for the season’s proposed restart, all team staffers will fill out a health questionnaire probing for individual risk factors. A doctor selected by the team then reviews each questionnaire.

From there, the staffer provides the NBA with a letter from a doctor ⁠— which could be the team doctor, or the staffer’s personal doctor ⁠— clearing that person to attend, according to the ESPN report.

However, even if a “higher-risk” staffer satisfies those requirements and is approved to go to Florida, the current protocols allow the NBA to have that person undergo a second review with “one or more physicians appointed by the NBA.” If that doctor or panel determines the staffer “would present a direct threat to his or her health,” the league can stop that person from going, according to the protocols.

That doctor’s decision “will be final, binding, and unappealable,” the protocols state, as obtained by ESPN.

In a story last week, Wojnarowski and Lowe reported that there could be legal means to challenge the NBA on that issue, should they attempt to exclude someone solely by age. They wrote:

Legal experts consulted by ESPN, including a top attorney in the Miami office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, agreed unanimously that the NBA could not exclude any personnel from participating in Orlando solely on the basis of age.

That would not change even if all personnel over a certain age agreed to a medical review before heading to Orlando and the review highlighted risk factors linked to more severe outcomes from any coronavirus infection, experts said.

Agent Warren LeGarie, who represents D’Antoni and Gentry, hinted at a potential legal challenge in comments on Wednesday. “I hope there is a basketball solution to this issue rather than a legal one,” he told ESPN.

The NBA Coaches Association also issued a statement defending the right of coaches to come to their own conclusions. “Adam [Silver] and the NBA have created a situation in Orlando that is likely far safer than in our coaches’ home markets,” the statement reads. “Absent a significant threat, we believe a coach should be able to understand and assume their individual risks, waive liability, and coach in Orlando.”

The statement by the union also said that not working at the restart could “severely jeopardize” the potential of those coaches to secure future employment. D’Antoni’s contract in Houston runs out after this season.

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As such, there could be a complicated path forward in the coming weeks if the NBA decides to flag D’Antoni for a second review, and if the doctor or panel then attempts to bar him. It’s not yet clear if the league’s only medical recourse would be to prevent D’Antoni from entering the “bubble” altogether, or if ⁠— as Silver initially suggested ⁠— D’Antoni might be allowed to attend, but not coach from the usual bench area.

But for now, the only confirmed news is positive, with an independent doctor in Houston giving D’Antoni clearance to coach the Rockets.

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