Details of Marc Gasol’s COVID-19 experience sound terrifying
Lakers center Marc Gasol described what sounded like a brutal bout with COVID-19.
Having NBA games played on a nightly basis makes it easy to forget about the reality of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But players are still contracting the virus and Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol was out nearly a month because of it.
Gasol returned to the court Thursday and played 15 minutes in what was his first game since Feb. 28. He discussed his COVID-19 battle following the game and it sounded absolutely terrifying.
Marc Gasol says he had a pretty tough go of it with COVID-19. Says he couldn’t move much for 5-6 days, loss of taste of smell, sapped of energy, the works. Said it spread around his household.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 26, 2021
Marc Gasol describes bout with COVID-19
Anyone who has had a severe case of COVID-19 can relate to what Gasol is saying. For those who have not, his description is a harsh reminder of the pandemic. Professional athletes being incapacitated for a week should show the severity of the virus.
The fact Gasol is back playing NBA basketball is just wild and is a testament to his conditioning and natural physical abilities. No one would blame him if he needed to take more time off.
Gasol was having a rough start to the season before missing time. He is averaging 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in around 20 minutes per night. That was not a major problem when Anthony Davis was on the court. Now the Lakers may need another upgrade if Gasol continues to play at this pace.
The most important thing now is that he can work toward making a full recovery. He is not the first NBA player to return after a bout with COVID and it continues to be amazing to see athletes push through and return so fast.