With Coronavirus cases trending downward, the United States and countries around the world have allowed their athletes to slowly but surely start training again. At this point, it remains to be seen as to when each individual league will return, but things are certainly taking a positive turn.

For instance, NBA players have been permitted to start training with their respective teams. In a recent interview with ESPN, Damian Lillard spoke about practicing with his teammates and how excited everyone was to see each other again.

“The whole first week was a breath of fresh air,” Lillard said. “On a certain level, it was exciting. You’re finally back on the court and you’re seeing everyone’s faces again.”

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Despite this, Lillard also noted that it has been difficult to focus as there are numerous health concerns involved. The virus has not been eradicated and everyone is anxious about potentially contracting it.

“The second week everyone is like, ‘All right, this is kind of weird,’” Lillard explained. “The excitement is gone and now it’s, ‘What going on?’ I haven’t had a personal experience with [COVID-19], but I know how real it is. There’s nothing excessive when you see the kind of toll it’s taking on the world.”

With Lillard’s experiences in mind, it will be interesting to see how soon the NBA decides to really come back.

[Via]