Following the Golden State Warriors capturing their second straight NBA championship last June by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers, David West made headlines for a comment he made in the aftermath. "We're so tight, people don't even know what we went through," West said, seemingly hinting at behind the scenes drama. "They trying to find out. …Y'all got no clue. No clue. That tells you about this team that nothing came out."
While many envisioned some kind of scenario similar to the one that played out earlier this season between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, it turns out the issue was far more serious. According to a report from Sam Amick, the Warriors dealt with a meningitis scare -- one so real that some players received vaccinations and they had to move out of their practice facility for a time. Via The Athletic:
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Warriors dealt with a team-wide meningitis scare in mid-March that was the root of West's infamous comments. An outside vendor who handled the team's food on a daily basis contracted a contagious form of the disease, then survived a life-threatening challenge before eventually returning to work with the team.
Well, it was bad enough that the majority of Warriors players and some members of the basketball operations staff took vaccination shots in response to the medical threat. Worrisome enough that one team practice was relocated to nearby Oracle Arena while the team's practice facility in downtown Oakland was, in essence, sanitized. Significant enough that the dining room at the practice facility that is only open to players, coaches, and basketball operations personnel was shut down for a short time for cleaning, with players eating elsewhere temporarily.
Doctors addressed the team to explain the concerns while also putting their minds at ease about the many ways in which they were being protected. Warriors general manager Bob Myers and coach Steve Kerr addressed the team as well to discuss the matter. Fear grew even outside of their immediate circle, with coaches and players from their G-League affiliate 71 miles away, the Santa Cruz Warriors, well aware of the situation as well.
Though a meningitis scare is pretty much the last thing that people would have guessed West was referring to, it's easy to see why this would have been a troubling few weeks for the Warriors. Meningitis is an infection that causes swelling in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and can be fatal.
Fortunately, this was nothing more than a scare for the Warriors and the members of their 2017-18 roster who are still on the team will be available for their matchup with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET -- watch on FuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension).
Serious health scares like this are much bigger than basketball and trying to win a championship. Thankfully everyone in the Warriors organization -- especially the employee who actually got meningitis -- is healthy and survived this episode.
