After testing positive for the coronavirus, Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford will miss multiple games, starting with Sunday night’s game against Indiana, sources told ESPN.
Clifford has been asymptomatic, but after receiving a positive test Sunday morning — his third positive in a four-day span — he will be forced to enter the league’s health and safety protocols for the immediate future, sources said.
Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will replace Clifford on the Magic’s bench, Clifford said Saturday night.
Clifford, 59, originally tested positive Thursday night. He returned two negative tests Friday, giving hope that the first positive was a false result, then learned Saturday afternoon that a test he took that morning came back positive.
“I feel fine,” Clifford said Saturday evening. “I have no temperature. I feel 100%.”
Clifford has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine, getting the second one Thursday. He is not yet considered fully vaccinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols, as two weeks have not passed since his final dose. He said he has experienced no side effects from getting the vaccine.
Clifford has dealt with some health issues in the past. He missed 21 games because of problems caused by sleep deprivation during the 2017-18 season, when he coached in Charlotte. He also left a game vs. the Timberwolves in March 2020 after experiencing dizziness caused by dehydration.
