NBA clears Mike D’Antoni for departure as Rockets fly to Florida

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is on the flight with the rest of the team to the NBA’s bubble complex in Florida, according to a Thursday report from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

At 69 years old, D’Antoni is in the age demographic that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warns could face increased complications from COVID-19, should he contract the coronavirus.

But D’Antoni says he has “no apprehension” about returning to his usual coaching capacity once the league resumes its 2019-20 season in Florida, in part due to the precautions he’s going to take (such as wearing a mask) and also because he trusts the league’s safety protocols.

The NBA had flagged some higher-risk coaches, such as Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins, to prevent them from attending. But their criteria is not determined solely by age, which could have led to a legal challenge.

Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni, 69, is on the team flight en route to Orlando, a source told ESPN. He has said recently that his medical screenings didn't raise any red flags and that he planned to coach as usual, other than wearing a mask.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 9, 2020

Age aside, D’Antoni appears to be in ideal health, and an independent Houston doctor reportedly cleared him for the NBA restart in June. The league appears to have signed off as well, since they did not inform D’Antoni not to come (as they did with Hollins and others).

D’Antoni and the Rockets are set to arrive in Florida later tonight, and they are scheduled to practice together Saturday for the first time since the 2019-20 season’s suspension on March 12.