Basketball: Hawks' US imports will be in 14-day quarantine this week

Hawks general manager Amy Price says the NBL franchises are behind the Government's measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus. Photo / Warren Buckland

Two American import basketballers will enter the 14-day, self-quarantine procedure to counter the Covid-19 threat immediately on arriving at Hawke's Bay Regional Airport in Napier this week.

Hawke's Bay franchise general manager Amy Price said one was scheduled to arrive here from Los Angeles on Tuesday while the other's flight would land at the airport on Saturday.

An import Australian guard is already in Hawke's Bay in a bid to bolster the Hawks' National Basketball League (NBL) campaign this season.

"He came into the country before the self-quarantine process had started so he's been here long enough to be cleared," she said of the adjusted deadline Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had declared at the weekend but was imposed at 1am on Monday.

The Melbournite has been training with the squad.

"We've spoken to them regarding that [coronavirus] and printed out all the material from the Ministry of Health website so they can understand what's involved in that quarantine," she said.

The franchise has nutted out details down to even how groceries would be delivered to the pair in trying to ensure the procedures run without any hiccups or put others at any risk.

Basketball New Zealand general manager Justin Nelson (centre), with TV commentators Kevin Braswell (left) and Huw Beynon, expects the NBL to tip off early next month as scheduled. Photo / Photosport

NBL general manager Justin Nelson had held an emergency meeting last week with representatives from the NBL franchise to put measures into place well before it had become government policy.

"That's why we had all these things in place and we had already started contacting these players earlier."

In a written statement on Saturday, Nelson had declared it was compulsory for all players arriving from overseas to adhere to the policies in place.

The NBL is expecting more than 50 basketballers to be in that situation. Nelson said it was imperative to protect the league, its teams and spectators.

He said the code was mindful one positive test was all that was required to derail the NBL campaign tipping off early next month.

Point guard Jarrod Kenny also will be subjected to the procedure after he was plying his trade for the Cairns Taipans in the Australian National Basketball League (ANBL).

"Most of them [players] are well and truly cleared but JK [Kenny] is actually attending a wedding in Washington DC [in the US] so we're actually working through the process now as to whether he'll need to quarantine for 14 days in Australia and then quarantine for 14 days here," Price said of last season's two-time ANBL-winning skipper who had caught a flight from Cairns to attend the wedding.

She said logic suggested it would be advisable for Tall Black point guard Kenny to arrive in Napier directly from Washington DC provided he could find someone to tie up some of the loose ends for him left behind in Cairns.

"The biggest thing we have to think about is, you know, in New Zealand we have not felt the full brunt of it so taking these measures is important in terms of keeping Kiwis safe."

Price said the franchise had no qualms whatsoever with the stringent measures the Government had reinforced to ensure everyone would comply with them.

"We think it's a sensible thing to do just to keep us isolated at the bottom of the world from what's happening around the rest of the world."

Last season's two-time ANBL-winning Hawks skipper, Jarrod Kenny, has caught a flight from Cairns, Australia, to attend a wedding in Washington DC in the United States this week. Photo / file

Former international veteran guard Everard Bartlett, Tall Black and New Zealand Breaker Ethan Rusbatch, seasoned forward Darryl Jones as well as newcomer Derone Raukawa are other marquee players who have so far been officially confirmed as Hawks squad members.

Price said the Hawks were scouting what medical tests were available, just as other NBL franchises were doing.

"We're doing our research on it as well," she said. "I think one of the first symptoms is the temperature so it's just monitoring that to start with a view to see if any other symptoms will arise and then take it from there."

Price said the Hawks were comfortable in the knowledge they had appropriate measures in place. Because the NBL had anticipated such an eventuality relatively early, the franchise had been up with the play.

"At this point Jacinda Ardern's made the announcement at the weekend and we were definitely prepared for that so, I think, that's a positive step the league took."

A jovial Price, who is the wife of board chairman and Napier City councillor Keith Price, took over as general manager of the franchise this year but felt no one could have been possibly prepared for Covid-19 to be part of their portfolio but she had taken it in her stride.

"You just have to roll with the punches, don't you?"

Newly appointed coach Daniel Nelson, of Ireland, is at the helm with the Hawks opening their campaign against reigning champions Wellington Saints on Thursday, April 9, in a 7.30pm tip off at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale.

The NBL will culminate with the Final Four from July 17-19 before the grand final from July 24-26.