LeBron James Sidelined After Testing Positive For COVID-19

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New reports are coming in stating that the NBA legend LeBron James has tested positive for COVID-19, with his Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis alleging this to be the case.

Despite this, various outlets like ESPN are refusing to report on James’ COVID status instead only saying that he has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and is expected to miss several games.

James Tests Positive

TMZ reported that James tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday afternoon, and that a follow-up PCR test confirmed this.

While this test came back negative, James was then given a third test as a tiebreaker, and this one was positive. This happened hours before the Lakers were to play the Sacramento Kings, and the team reportedly chartered a private jet to fly James back to Los Angeles safely.

Anthony Davis Speaks Out

Davis stepped up to lead the team to victory over the Kings in the wake of James being sidelined. And, he shared the news about the famous basketball player’s COVID-19 status in an interview on Tuesday night.

“It’s like I’m being tested with my leadership,” Davis told Yahoo Sports. “’Bron has been out with injuries and now also with the COVID situation, so it’s a good test for me. It’s a good experience for me to lead these guys and the good thing about it, I have other vets on my side who’ve been in the game for a while to help me through the obstacles. It’s a good test, not just for our team, but for me to lead these guys.”

“I talked to him today,” Davis later added. “I checked on him. Just hearing what Joel Embiid said, obviously [Embiid] was scared, he said that he thought he wasn’t going to make it. COVID is a scary thing. Especially with all the new variants coming out and all that… it’s a scary situation.”

LeBron James Was Fully Vaccinated

While James is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he has declined to try to pressure other athletes to get the shot.

“We’re talking about individuals’ bodies,” James said back in September. “We’re not talking about something that’s political, or racism, or police brutality. Things of that nature. We’re talking about people’s bodies and well being. So, I don’t feel like, for me personally, that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods.”

It seems odd that James appears to be trying to hide his diagnosis from the press. Perhaps he is fearful that some shade will be thrown at him from his naysayers in the wake of his positive COVID-19 tests.

James Conrad

James Conrad’s passion for politics is only overshadowed by his longstanding interest in Hollywood. His unique perspective as a gay conservative fuels him to challenge celebrity views and those who think they have a right to tell anyone how to think or vote. James proudly wields his minority point of view to combat identity politics and cut through his typecast. Fun fact: James’ guilty pleasure is the British royal family.