One of the first things the world learned in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic was that the virus effected people differently.
Some would develop severe symptoms while others would never experience so much as a sniffle. Some would recover quickly while others, sadly, would never recover at all.
Kings forward Jabari Parker and center Alex Len learned more than they wanted to know about the virus after contracting COVID-19 last month. They shared details of their experiences during a Zoom call with the media Monday from Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, where the Kings are preparing to resume the NBA season.
Parker, 25, said he tested positive in mid June and immediately entered a period of self isolation. He tested negative just five days later, but then he tested positive again, delaying his return to the team. That pattern repeated itself a number of times before he produced consecutive negative test results as required under NBA protocols.
"With the NBA, you have to test negative twice in a row, so it took me a while to test negative twice in a row," Parker said. "I was building the antibodies and also trying to get it out of my system, but I was really clear within those last couple weeks of June."
Parker said doctors explained why he was getting mixed test results.
"From my knowledge, there are three genes they really look at, and it was two of those three genes that I had negative, but one was always showing up," Parker said. "I had to completely get the three out of my system."
Len, 27, said he tested positive for COVID-19 on June 22. His symptoms worsened in early July.
"Like two weeks in, I started having symptoms like no smell, no taste (and) I had a little bit of chest tightness," Len said. "I wasn't scared or nothing, but I had some symptoms."
Len said he tested positive for 24 consecutive days.
"I was quarantining over three weeks and then finally I got two negative tests," he said.
Parker joined the Kings in Orlando on July 12 along with Buddy Hield, who also recovered fairly quickly after contracting the virus. Len arrived Friday while Harrison Barnes remained in Sacramento, still trying to clear COVID-19 protocols to travel to Orlando more than two weeks after he tested positive.
"It just hits everybody differently," Parker said.
Parker was out with a shoulder injury when the Kings acquired him and Len in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks in February. He appeared in only one game for the Kings before the NBA suspended its season in March due to the pandemic.
Kings coach Luke Walton said Parker would likely play when the Kings scrimmage the Miami Heat at 5 p.m. Wednesday, a game that will be televised by NBC Sports California. Walton will need every able body with De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Richaun Holmes, Barnes and Len all out.
Parker said his shoulder is healthy now and the team is helping him gradually get into game shape following his illness.
"It's been good," Parker said. "They've been doing a really good job, making sure I ease in and I don't try to go from zero to 100."
Len appeared in nine games for the Kings before the shutdown. He averaged 6.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots, adding an element of toughness to the team's interior defense as Sacramento surged into playoff contention.
"I was playing well," Len said. "I think it's just my teammates and the energy around the team and everybody playing so hard, and the culture around the team is so great, once you get in, I was able to get rolling pretty quickly. Everybody getting on the court and everybody playing hard, it's contagious so I think I was able to fit in really well with that."
Len said he feels no lingering effects of the virus, but he still isn't in top condition after such a long layoff.
"I'm feeling pretty good," Len said. "I've just got to get my body back in shape. They said my lungs are fine, my heart is fine. We did some testing with that and everything is good."
Len said the Kings are telling him to take his time. He will not participate in Wednesday's scrimmage, but he hopes to be ready by the time the Kings play the San Antonio Spurs on July 31 in the first of eight seeding games in Orlando.
"They're not going to rush me until I'm back to 100% because they don't want to risk any injuries, so I've got to take it slow," Len said. "... We still have another 12 days before the season (restarts) for the first official game. We're going to shoot for that, but we'll see how the body responds."
