Ujiri, Webster address Davis after photo of Raptors’ rookie with hole in mask

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A day after the NBA issued a threat of a fine or suspension for improper mask use, Toronto Raptors rookie Terence Davis has apparently received the message.

A photo of Davis arriving for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers wearing a mask with a hole in it raised eyebrows on social media, but coach Nick Nurse said team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have since addressed the 23-year-old.

“The leadership has taken care of that there,” Nurse said when asked about Davis after Toronto’s 107-103 win over Miami on Monday.

There was no word whether Davis had purposely ripped his mask, or whether the hole was inadvertent.

Players and coaching staffs are tested daily for COVID-19 in the NBA’s “bubble” at Walt Disney World in Florida, one of the world hotspots for the novel coronavirus.

The league reportedly reminded teams on Sunday that it will punish players in violation of mask-wearing protocols, with consequences ranging from fines and suspensions to potentially even removal from the NBA campus. 

Davis would be a big loss for Toronto if suspended. He’s averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds and is a big burst of athleticism off the bench.  

Lakers forward Dwight Howard had previously been warned about not wearing a mask.

“They sanitize everything,” Howard posted on his Instagram after the warning. “We’re getting tested every day. So, it’s not like we’re around anybody that can give it to us because we all get tested together. And so, we’re only around each other. We’re only around everybody that’s in the bubble. We don’t see any outsiders. We don’t have any contact with any outsiders.

“I understand the whole ‘wear a mask’ and all that stuff, so nobody is not trying to do anything out of order. But, you know, again, I understand that there always has to be some type of controversy somewhere. And I’m not in no controversy. You know what I’m saying? I get it. It’s some clickbait.”

Denver Nuggets rookie Michael Porter Jr. made headlines last week when he said the threat of COVID-19 has been overblown and that the virus is being used for population control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2020.

The Canadian Press