Indiana Pacers news: Myles Turner discusses father who had coronavirus

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner’s father has recovered from coronavirus

All of us have been impacted by novel coronavirus in some way. Indiana Pacers forward Myles Turner has experienced the effects of the pandemic nearly firsthand, as his father, David, had and recovered from COVID-19.

Unfortunately, the virus has impacted NBA athletes on varying levels. Just Monday, it was announced by the Minnesota Timberwolves that center Karl-Anthony Towns’s mother tragically passed away from her battle with the disease.

Players all across the league publicly Tweeted messages of support to Towns.

Turner appeared on CJ McCollum’s podcast and talked about coronavirus and his father’s battle with and recovery from the disease. Somberly, he described the complete shift of perspective the effect of his dad’s experience had on him:

"“When it really hit home was when my dad actually got it. He made a full recovery but just seeing him kind of go through it was huge. Because, like, you see all the memes and it’s funny and stuff on Twitter, until something actually happens to you. And seeing my dad get it, he [was] super weak, he could barely talk.”"

Turner’s dad was in the hospital for about a week, according to Turner, and is now “back on his feet.”

Turner noted that his dad had an underlying condition that caused some anxiety for Turner and his family.

He noted that he started to take the virus much more seriously once his father contracted it and it impacted his life more directly. It caused him to think of some of the deeper rooted issues of the disease and forced him to ponder life beyond basketball.

It’s great news that David has had a full recovery from COVID-19, as many Americans have not been so lucky. The pandemic has taken a grip on the country and tragically taken the lives of family members, friends, and colleagues across the country and the world.

Turner being brave enough to share his experience like many other pro athletes helps spread the word about how serious the virus is and why it’s so important to approach it with care and sensitivity.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.