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Grows up. 16 (UPI) – Utah Jazz veteran Mike Conley left the NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla. For the birth of his son, the team announced on Sunday.
The Jazz said in a statement that Conley left Orlando on Sunday morning and returned to Columbus, Ohio. According to ESPN, the former Memphis Grizzlies guard is planning to join Utah at some point in the playoffs.
“The whole organization – the players, the coaches and everyone here – totally supports his decision to be with his wife and new baby,” said Jazz forward Joe Ingles. “Obviously he’s part of our team. Anytime Mary and Mike feel confident that it’s a good time for him to come back, we will obviously bring him in with open arms.
“But until then, it’s one of those things that’s bigger than basketball. Being there with your family is the # 1 priority right now.”
Under the league’s COVID-19 policies, Conley will need to be quarantined for at least four days upon his return to the bubble, meaning he will miss at least the first two games of the Jazz’s first round series. against the Denver Nuggets.
Later Sunday, Conley posted a photo of his newborn son – named Elijah Michael Conley – on social media.
Since the NBA restart, Conley has averaged 18 points, five assists and three rebounds in six appearances.
Conley becomes the second leading athlete in all of the major US professional sports leagues to leave his respective team before the start of the playoffs or during the playoffs. Boston Bruins star goaltender Tuukka Rask decided on Saturday to withdraw from the Stanley Cup playoffs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rask made his decision less than two hours before the Bruins’ 3-1 win in Game 3 of their quarterfinal series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Veteran Jaroslav Halak started in his place and posted a save percentage of .967 in the win.
“I want to be with my teammates in competition, but right now there are more important things than hockey in my life, and that is being with my family,” Rask said in a statement on Saturday. “I want to thank the Bruins and my teammates for their support and wish them every success.”
The Bruins – just like the Jazz – will now be forced to compete in the playoffs without an important member of their team. Conley will be allowed to return to the squad if he chooses to do so, but will likely miss at least two games due to COVID-19 protocols and the mandatory quarantine period.
Under the rules and protocols created by the NHL and the players’ union, Rask will also be eligible to return to his team if he changes his mind.
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Sunday he had not spoken directly with his goalie and was unsure if he could return to the club later in the playoffs.
“If circumstances change where he thinks he can come back to the club, I think we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Cassidy said. “The NHL is okay with that. That’s how we would handle it.”
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