Basketball superstar Chris Paul has been sidelined from the NBA Playoffs after testing positive for COVID.
The Phoenix Suns guard helped his team beat current champions the Los Angeles Lakers and favorites the Denver Nuggets, but now he’ll be out of the line-up for an indefinite period of time as part of the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
That means he’ll miss the start of the Western Conference Finals, when the Suns take on either the Los Angeles Clippers or Utah Jazz.
Ironically, reports suggest Paul is fully vaccinated, making his COVID diagnosis rare.
Phoenix Suns fans didn’t take the news well. Check out some of their replies:
Sixers in 7, then beat the bucks cause embiid can dominate them. Then play a Chris Paul less suns team or Kawhi less clippers team. LETS GOOO
— HowieSZN (@samer_alsaleem) June 18, 2021
Just read on Twitter that John Stockton is an anti-vaxxer.
I guess, here comes Chris Paul cracking my top 5 NBA point guards list.
Included in my new list are: Magic, Isiah, Steph Curry, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd. (I never included the ones I wasn't able to watch like Oscar R)
— Marky Ramone Go (@markyramonego) June 18, 2021
The #Suns' #NBA title odds have actually risen in some projections since the Chris Paul news came out earlier this week. One site gives the team a 44% shot at the championship. Another has them at 42% … @azcentral @azcsports https://t.co/zgH3KliLF2
— Jeremy Cluff (@Jeremy_Cluff) June 18, 2021
Chris Paul testing positive for COVID at a NBA game where they supposedly ONLY allow vaccinated fans in. Sounds a lil too rigged for me @NBA Adam silver got some explains to do
— Mingito
(@DahhkidstevEE) June 18, 2021
While I understand and support the COVID protocol, boy, would it really be a bummer if Chris Paul loses out on his best title shot because of this.
— Carl Setterlund (@CarlSetterlund) June 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/SloanImperative/status/1405927561377587203?s=20