Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart has been cleared off illness. The C’s guard revealed this news on his Twitter account last night, adding that the relevant institutions confirmed the good news.
He used the chance to thank all of those who were supporting him, and to send his best wishes to all the people who are experiencing what he did recently.
“Corona Free as of two days ago. Cleared by Mass Dept of Health. Thanks for everyone’s thoughts and prayers and I’m doing the same for everyone that’s been effected by this. Stay safe and stay together- apart! Much love!” Smart said.
The 26-year old shared the news about him being infected some 10 days ago, and was one of the few players who was open on having COVID-19. Smart would immediately move into quarantine and follow the instructions of the doctors. The player didn’t have any symptoms whatsoever during the entire period and was recovering well.
Boston Celtics met Utah Jazz on March 7, just four days before the NBA suspended the season due to Rudy Gobert’s positive test on COVID-19. The team was in Milwaukee at the time, getting ready to meet the NBA-leading side but returned home the next day. All the players had to be self-isolated because of the game against Utah, and after undergoing a test, Smart turned out to be positive.
During his recovery, Smart was very active on social networks, explaining people the importance of following the guidelines provided by the health departments and giving all sorts of advice.
Celtics’ head coach Brad Stevens praised his player, saying that he didn’t lose his positive attitude despite the tough situation and that he used his experience to help others.
“I’m proud of how he kind of took the initiative to tell people that he had it and that he felt good and that he got online and just continued to ask people to practice social distancing and self-isolation right now. It’s a really unique, unsettling time for everyone.”
Smart appeared in 53 games this season, 39 times as a starter, averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.8 boards per night, along with 1.6 steals. His Celtics are third in the Eastern Conference with 43 wins and 21 losses, three games behind the Toronto Raptors (46-18) on the second place.
He is the fourth NBA player who successfully defeated COVID-19. After Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Christian Wood, who was the first to report his recovery, Smart joins the list also. Unfortunately, this won’t speed up the season comeback, and even if there aren’t any players positive on Coronavirus, the league will still have to be on hold due to the global pandemic.
The recent suggestions are saying that the campaign probably won’t start until May, because of the overall situation and the measures imposed by the authorities. There are various scenarios about the continuation of the season, but the latest one is suggesting that the fans probably won’t be allowed to attend games. Still, nothing is certain, and there were no official confirmations from the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
