Does James Harden have coronavirus? Report reveals why NBA star didn't travel to Orlando

Last week, the Houston Rockets arrived at the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to resume their 2019-20 season. However, Rockets' star guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden did not travel with the team, with reports at the time stating that they would join the team later. As both players were absent, a number of Rockets fans suspected that they have contracted the coronavirus. 

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James Harden COVID19: Does James Harden have coronavirus? Did reports confirm James Harden COVID19 news?

Also read | Harden and Westbrook not part of Rockets roster in Orlando: Westbrook coronavirus, Does James Harden have coronavirus? James Harden COVID19

A few hours after Russell Westbrook confirmed his positive COVID-19 result with a statement on Twitter, Elite Media Group tweeted about James Harden also testing positive for COVID-19, as per a source. However, Harden and the Rockets are yet to confirm the report. Fans had started suspecting that both Harden and Westbrook had contracted the virus owing to their erratic social media activity and absence. Harden and Westbrook's reports further increased people's concerns about the NBA bubble being unsafe, especially since players have already contracted the virus and will be asked to play immediately after recovering. 

Does James Harden have coronavirus after Russell Westbrook? Westbrook confirms his positive COVID-19 test

Rumours about Westbrook having COVID-19 started when Westbrook, who had been posting workout videos since quarantine, stopped posting since late June. However, Westbrook shared a photo of himself wearing a black cloth mask the same day the Rockets landed in Orlando. A few days after Westbrook's then-last post on June 21, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski had reported one playoff team had four players test positive on June 23 before travelling to Orlando. A week ago, Rockets forward Thabo Sefolosha confirmed that some of his teammates have COVID-19 as he announced his decision to opt out of the NBA restart. Following the rumours, Russell Westbrook confirmed the news. 

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Does James Harden have coronavirus?

Harden was averaging a league-leading 34.4 points, 6.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game, while Westbrook followed with 27.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists average per game before the season was suspended. The team was placed sixth on the Western Conference points table with a 40-24 win-loss record. The Rockets are scheduled to begin their eight seeding games by playing the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, July 31 8:00 PM EST (Saturday, August 1, 5:30 AM IST). 

Also read | Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook says he tested positive for COVID-19: NBA players with coronavirus, Westbrook coronavirus, Harden and Westbrook 

(Image source: NBA official website)