According to Josh Weinstein of The Score on Wednesday, three Sacramento Kings have tested positive for coronavirus. They are power forward Jabari Parker of Chicago, Illinois, center Alex Len of Antratsyt, Ukraine, and shooting guard Buddy Hield of Freeport, Bahamas.
The state of California has been hammered by coronavirus lately. There are 206, 623 cases, and 5,872 deaths. Of those 206, 623 cases, there are 143, 643 active cases. In Parker’s home state of Illinois, there are 141, 344 total cases, 27,026 active cases, and 7,048 deaths. In the Ukraine, there are 41, 117 total cases, 21, 732 active cases, and 1086 deaths. In the Bahamas, there are 104 total cases, 11 deaths, and nine active cases.
At the time of the NBA shutdown, Hield was having a solid season for Sacramento. He was averaging 19.8 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game, a field goal percentage of .429, free throw percentage of .855 and three-point percentage of .395.
Parker interestingly was traded with Len from the Atlanta Hawks to the Kings for center Dewayne Dedmon of Lancaster, California, and a second round draft pick in the 2020 and 2021 NBA Drafts. Parker’s only game with the Kings came on February 20, in a 129-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Parker had four points off the bench. Parker is averaging 14.7 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game this season in 33 games with the Hawks and Kings.
Parker is possibly best known for being the second overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2004 NBA Draft. He was only selected behind Andrew Wiggins of Toronto, Canada, who was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Len is averaging 8.3 points per game and six rebounds per game with the Hawks and Kings. He has seen more time on the court for Sacramento than Parker since the two players joined the Kings.
The Kings meanwhile are 11th in the West with a record of 28 wins and 36 losses. At the time of the coronavirus shutdown, they were three and a half games back of the Grizzlies for eighth place.
