Boston Celtics star Marcus Smart says he isn’t worse for wear following his positive coronavirus test and could even get back on the court if he had to. But he’s urged the wider public to protect themselves and others while COVID-19 remains a threat.
The feisty guard was found to have contracted the respiratory disease on Thursday, one of several other NBA players to receive positive tests this week. And, speaking to CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Friday night, urged fans to be vigilant.
“I feel great. I feel fine,” he declared in quotes transcribed by Yahoo Sports. “I feel like I can go play a game right now.”
The player admitted he was surprised to discover he was carrying the virus as he hadn’t felt any symptoms.
“For me, it was just like a surprise,” he said. “Like I said, I feel fine. I don’t have any symptoms. I haven’t had any symptoms. When they told me I had it, I was just like, ‘Oh, wow.’ It definitely really makes you alert to what’s going on and the situation at hand.”
“[Staying in is] the key right there, because people that contract the virus can be asymptomatic and not show symptoms, it’s really hard for anyone to know that they have the virus,” he continued. “Being around a group of people, being around friends and family and really not isolating yourself, you’re a carrier and you become spreading the virus around without even knowing.”
Smart added he followed team guidelines, participated in all the requisite testing, and quarantined himself after Boston’s last road trip, which is why he was even more shocked to learn he was a carrier.
