New York Post, Thursday, December 3, 2020nypost.comJordan: ‘Strange’
practices worth it
to keep team safe
By Brian LewisRight after DeAndre Jordan
wrested the Nets starting center
job away from Jarrett Allen, his
season was cut short due to con-
tracting COVID-19. Now he’s look-
ing forward to title contention this
season — even if it is a weird one
played under the specter of the
coronavirus.
Just as Brooklyn got hit as hard
as any locale in the country by the
pandemic, the Nets were hit as
hard as any team in the NBA.
Jordan, Kevin Durant, Spencer
Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince all
contracted COVID-19, as did three
unnamed Nets. Justin Anderson
and Michael Beasley tested posi-
tive before the restart, and new
Net Landry Shamet tested positive
last season with the Clippers.
“I was doing all the protocol
needed to try to make it back to the
bubble and just didn’t have a nega-
tive test in the amount of time I
needed to have it,” Jordan said
Wednesday via Zoom.
“I always took the virus seriously.
I still do, because I know there’s a
chance that I could still contract it.
Even before, I washed my hands a
ton, wasn’t around people, wore
my mask all the time — real anal
about it, but I still contracted it.
Very frustrating. But I was very
lucky that there’s no lasting ef-
fects.”
It would be hard not to take the
virus seriously, with morgue
trucks still in the lot across from
HSS Training Center. Filled with
more than 600 coronavirus vic-
tims, the trucks are visible from
the practice court and as players
drive in front of the building.The wait outside the facility is
longer now, with not one but two
Covid tests now part of their daily
routine.
“Coming to practice is very
strange with something we haven’t
had to deal with before,” Jordan
said. “But we get to practice, take a
test, take another test and you wait
in the car until you’re hopefully
negative. Then you can go up and,
with your mask on, do your indi-
vidual work and lift and shoot and
you go home.
“And you go home, do the same
thing again the next day. I think
that we’ve done a great job staying
as safe as we possibly can and tak-
ing this thing as seriously as it
needs to be taken. Hopefully, we
can stay safe.”
An LA resident in the offseason,
Jordan played pickup with Durant
and Kyrie Irving and felt both are
back to 100 percent.
“They looked like Kevin Durant
and Kyrie Irving. They looked ex-
actly like themselves. There’s no
favoring [anything],” said Jordan.
“It’s good to see Kevin Durant and
Kyrie Irving back on the court. I
will say that.”
It remains to be seen if Jordan
will be in the lineup with them,
whether Steve Nash will give him
the nod at center or Allen. Either
way, Jordan is looking forward to
picking Nash’s basketball brain
after playing against him.
“Steve was great. Played against
Steve for I don’t know how many
years, when he was in Phoenix and
then with the Lakers,” said Jordan,
who was 4-9 vs. his new coach
from 2009-14. “It makes me feel a
little old, but let’s just say Steve’s
young.”ALL’ or nothing: With veteran DeAndre Jordan (left) competing for
minutes and the threat of a James Harden (top inset) trade looming, Jarrett
Allen could spend this season vying for a championship with the Nets, or be
on his way out of town. Getty Images (2); Corey Sipkin
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