Sixers’ new forward Ryan Broekhoff scraps off plans of joining NBA ‘bubble’ on Disney to focus on family after wife tested positive for COVID-19
Writing on Twitter this Sunday, Ryan Broekhoff of the National Basketball Authority (NBA) team Philadelphia 76ers announced that his wife was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. Due to this, he said he will not be able to join the 76ers in the resuming of the NBA season this July at the bubble in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Family First
The shooting guard explained that his main reason for failing to join the NBA ‘bubble’ this season is to prioritize his family as he relayed the condition of his wife. Broekhoff confirmed that his wife is “high risk,” so his attention should remain to his family for the time being. He was referring to his prior confirmation of his wife having an autoimmune disease.
His tweeted photo of his announcement reads: “I am not with the 76ers right now in Orlando because my wife who is high risk tested positive for COVID. We have a young son and my focus needs to be with my family at this time. I appreciate the 76ers for their support.”
Signing Sixers
Before his wife tested positive, he expressed that him joining the restart of the season is not an easy decision. He added, “I have a wife and a one-year-old son, and my wife has an autoimmune disease, so she’s at higher risk for COVID. It’s taken a lot for us to be able to get to this point where we signed.”
Broekhoff revealed that prior to joining the Sixers, he asked more information whether he has options to immediately return to his family “if anything happens.”
The Australian athlete was reported to sign a substitute contract with his new team last month, as the Sixers had a two-way contract spot unfilled. Although he has only been playing for the NBA for three years, he had international experiences nonetheless, competing in various countries to represent his home country Australia.
The Philadelphia team managed to score 29-year old Broekhoff on their team to increase their shooting heading. Previously, the Dallas Mavericks roster didn’t include him in the lineup, until waiving him on February. He has played for the team since 2018 with 59 games, earning 40.3 percent shooting from a 3-point range. Broekhoff also revealed that he received similar offers from other NBA teams, and some expressed their interest in recruiting him, but his goal is to be “steady” in the NBA.
