Christian Wood, 24, is the latest NBA star to test positive for the Coronavirus. The Detroit Pistons says that a player will “remain in isolation and under the care of team medical staff,” and sources later confirmed to ESPN that the player was indeed Christian. The report comes just days after the Pistons played the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Mar. 7, including now-infected players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Here’s 5 things to know about the Detroit Pistons star who is the latest public figure to reportedly test positive for COVID-19.
1. He’s a California native. Christian Marquis Wood was born on Sept. 27, 1995 in Long Beach, California. He began playing basketball at Los Alamitos High School, later transferring to Knight High School in Palmdale, California, according to ESPN‘s bio.
2. He’s the third NBA star with Coronavirus. Christian’s reported diagnosis comes just days after Utah Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell also tested positive. Christian would have played against both men at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Mar. 7. Rudy’s diagnosis was what prompted the NBA to suspend the season, after initially deciding to forage ahead without any fans in stadiums. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was also tested for Coronavirus after displaying symptoms, but turned out to be suffering from the common cold.
3. Christian played basketball in college. Beyond high school, Christian continued the sport and played on the team at University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 2013 – 2015. The 6’10” star was impressive, averaging 15.7 points and earning the All-Mountain West honors as a college sophomore — eventually getting him drafted to the NBA in 2015.
4. He’s had a career season. Christian has been having a successful season with the pistons, 6.3 rebounds per game and averaging 13.1 points. The star will also be a free agent at the end of this season, giving him the option to change teams, reports the New York Post.
5. He was a huge Kobe Bryant fan. Like many other now-NBA stars, Christian grew up wanting to be just like Kobe. The Detroit Pistons star was deeply affected by his tragic death in January, and took to social media to express his feelings. “My Childhood Hero 8.24🙏🏽😔,” he sweetly captioned a black-and-white image of his Pistons jersey donning Kobe’s last name and iconic #24.