Nets say they tested for COVID-19 after players, staff showed symptoms

The Brooklyn Nets organization said Wednesday that several players and staff had recently exhibited symptoms of COVID-19, prompting testing.

On Tuesday, the team announced that four players were infected with the coronavirus. Injured superstar Kevin Durant said he was one of them.

"As we learned NBA players on other teams had tested positive for COVID-19, we noticed that several of our players and staff had symptoms," the Nets' statement read.

"Based on this information, and the judgment that all of our players are subject to high exposure due to the close physical nature of basketball, the communal nature of teams, and the possibility of an accelerated spread from team to team, our medical experts advised that our players get tested," the statement continued.

"We sourced the tests through a private company and paid for them ourselves because we did not want to impact access to CDC's public resources."

When asked Wednesday about the criticism NBA teams have faced for taking advantage of access to testing, NBPA executive director Michele Roberts pointed blame at government officials for causing the shortage of test kits in the first place.

"There's nothing irresponsible - if you've got that information (that you've been exposed) - about trying to get the tests," Roberts told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "The problem that more of us can't get the tests - and I'm not apologetic about saying it - in my view, that rests at the foot of the federal government. They were responsible for making sure we were protected in that regard and I think they failed."

After the Nets' announcement Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized professional sports teams and other wealthy individuals for accessing virus testing ahead of the general public.

As of Wednesday, the four Nets players make up more than half of the seven in the NBA to test positive for the COVID-19 virus.