UPDATED March 23, 11:05 a.m. ET: Charles Barkley has reportedly received his test results for coronavirus and they were negative.
“I’ve received my COVID-19 test results this morning and they are negative. I’d like to thank everyone for reaching out and expressing your concern and support. You all be safe and please take the necessary actions to help ensure your well-being,” he said.
See original story from 3/13/2020 below.
Charles Barkley revealed he has tested for coronavirus.
The NBA Hall of Famer shared the news during Thursday night's episode of NBA on TNT. Speaking over the phone, Barkley told his co-hosts that he was advised to self-quarantine after falling ill earlier this week. The 57-year-old said he has yet to receive results of the COVID-19 test.
"I spent the earlier part of the week in New York City, when I got to Atlanta yesterday I wasn’t feeling well," he explained. "I talked to a couple people at Turner and a couple doctors, and they told me to self-quarantine for the next 48 hours. So, I started yesterday. This is my second day. I haven’t been feeling great and they didn’t want me taking any chances ... I went and took the coronavirus test late this afternoon. I have not gotten the results back. So, I'm just kind of limbo right now. I'm really hoping it was just a bug."
During the call, Barkley got the chance to ask Dr. Sanjay Gupta some questions about the deadly disease. Gupta didn't sugarcoat his answers.
"You think this thing is gon' to get worse before it gets better?" Barkley asked, referring to the coronavirus outbreak. "I hate to ask that question, but it's a fair question."
"It is a fair question, and the answer is yes," Gupta replied. "I wanna give you an honest answer, Charles."
Barkley's announcement comes amid growing concerns over coronavirus, which resulted in sweeping cancellations of conferences, concerts, and sporting events. The NBA was one of the first major sports organizations to suspend its season—a decision that was made after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week. His teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for the disease.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the league was suspending games "for at least 30 days," but said it was possible that the entire season could be canceled.Â
"Of course it’s possible," he said during an appearance on Inside the NBA. "I mean, I just don’t know more at this point."
