«Some of the most competitive basketball I’ve played has been in gyms where there are no fans. There’s something about it because the confrontation is much more in your face. It’s going to be just as competitive if not more competitive.»
The Clippers second-year guard discusses life in quarantine and concerns for the NBA’s restart
A week before teams were preparing to travel to the NBA’s bubble environment in Orlando, Los Angeles Clippers guard Landry Shamet echoed the thought of many of his colleagues in being a little uneasy with traveling to Florida in the wake of the state becoming the nations No. 1 hotspot for COVID-19 cases. Just days later, Shamet would test positive for the coronavirus.
After a two-week quarantine, he was cleared over the weekend and made his way to the NBA’s campus bubble. He’s expected to play in today’s first seeding game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Clippers own the second-best record in the Western Conference and the game could be a preview of the Western Conference Finals.
I spoke with Shamet on behalf of Tohi before his positive coronavirus test about his concerns while in the bubble, how he plans on utilizing his free time while in Orlando and why he feels the competition level might be at another level with no fans in attendance.
Why is this partnership with Tohi special to you?
LS: Being from Kansas City, Tohi being based there and me being really body conscious about how I fuel myself. I want to give myself the best that I can to prolong my career and take care of my body. Tohi offers that and is on the rise to be hopefully something that can be seen globally to help others do that as well. It worked out perfectly because we’re both from Kansas City. I’m passionate about Kansas City and taking care of my body.
I’ve put them in a few protein shakes but from a calorie standpoint, I like my shakes to be a little heavier. I’ll drink a few Tohi’s throughout the day, with breakfast, at night, after practice when I need some extra hydration. My favorite used to be the Ginger-Lime but now it’s Dragonfruit.
Did you run into any difficulties in trying to remain motivated to keep in shape while quarantined?
It’s been weird and it still is weird. Even with the facilities open now, we’re only allotted one player and one coach per workout. There’s only four players in there at a time. Right when you drive through the gate, you’re getting your temperature checked and it’s just different and part of that new normal that everyone talks about. When it first went down, it was weird but I just tried to take it for what it was and tried to enjoy the first week or two with the time off that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.
