Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy, two longtime staples of ESPN’s broadcast group for the N.B.A. finals, missed the opening sport of the championship sequence between Golden State and the Boston Celtics. An ESPN spokesman stated that each broadcasters had examined constructive for the coronavirus in current days, however Van Gundy stated in an interview that he had not.
The N.B.A. finals started Thursday in San Francisco and would have been the 14th championship sequence that includes Breen on play-by-play alongside Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, two former N.B.A. head coaches. As an alternative, Recreation 1 was referred to as by Jackson and Mark Jones, with Lisa Salters because the sideline reporter.
Breen missed Recreation 7 of the Jap Convention finals sequence between Miami and Boston on Sunday after testing constructive for the virus. Van Gundy and Jackson, who had referred to as video games with Breen over the prior week, continued on with the sport, with Jones filling in for Breen.
Van Gundy stated in an interview Thursday that he had not been examined for the virus earlier than Sunday’s sport as a result of he was asymptomatic, though his voice was noticeably hoarse throughout the Recreation 7 broadcast. The N.B.A. didn’t institute a testing mandate for members of the tv and information media for this yr’s playoffs, because it did final postseason.
Van Gundy stated that on Monday, upon flying house to Houston, he began to really feel slight signs. The subsequent day, he took a house take a look at, which he stated was inconclusive. ESPN then despatched Van Gundy two different fast checks, which he stated got here out destructive. Van Gundy additionally stated he wasn’t certain why he had been pulled from broadcasting Recreation 1, and that he hoped to be again for Recreation 2 Sunday in San Francisco.
Van Gundy added that he was not experiencing signs.
Adrian Wojnarowski and Kendra Andrews, reporters who regularly seem on air for ESPN, additionally examined constructive for the coronavirus, and missed the sequence opener. Andrews is a beat author protecting Golden State, and Wojnarowski is the community’s high N.B.A. reporter.
