Suns great Charles Barkley tests negative for coronavirus

Former Phoenix Suns great and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley tested negative for coronavirus (COVID-19) after initially feeling ill and facing uncertainty.

“I’ve received my COVID-19 test results this morning and they are negative,” he said, per ESPN. “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.

On a special edition of TNT’s Inside the NBA on March 12, Barkley called into the show and said he wasn’t feeling well since flying from New York to Atlanta on Wednesday and has been tested for COVID-19.

“I haven’t been feeling great and they didn’t want me to take any chances so they told me to quarantine myself for 48 hours,” he said. “I went and took the coronavirus test late this afternoon. I have not gotten the results back. So I’m kind of in limbo right now.”

Barkley was only on the Phoenix Suns for four seasons, but he was a part of one of the best teams in the league. In 1992-93, his first season in the Valley, Barkley led Phoenix to its best-ever regular season record of 62-20 and an appearance in the NBA Finals.

That season, he led the team with 25.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, was second on the team with 5.1 assists per game and was named the NBA MVP. He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2006.

On March 11, the NBA suspended play after Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus that has spread globally and caused mass disruption in industries of all kinds. In the following days, other major sports leagues followed suit with the NBA.

Related

GM James Jones mum on Suns coronavirus testing, arena plansDillon Brooks credits viral meme to oddly timed LeBron James fan interactionLeBron James is signing with the 76ers after mulling retirementSuns GM on draft pick predicament: ‘We’re always going to be good’The Suns are betting their credibility on Miles Bridges. They better be right.Suns GM: Miles Bridges will be held to high standard after ‘unacceptable conduct’