Time away from mom hardest part of quarantine, says James

[July 21, 2020]    (Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said the hardest part about quarantining during the COVID-19 pandemic was the time he was forced to spend away from his mother.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA was suspended in March in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and three-times NBA champion James quarantined in Los Angeles, California, while his mother, Gloria, remained in Akron, Ohio.

"The only thing that I missed during the quarantine period was my mother," James said. "It was the first time I went that long in my life without seeing my mom.

"I hadn't seen my mom since All-Star weekend then I saw her two weeks, three weeks before we had to report to our respective cities. That was extreme for me."

"Coming from a single parent household, being an only child... for me to be away from her that long (was difficult). My mom, she kept me sane, because she said in due time we'll join back again."

The NBA will resume on July 30 at Disney World without spectators. Twenty-two of its 30 teams will play eight seeding games to determine a full 16-team playoff field that will follow the traditional post-season format with four best-of-seven series.

James' Lakers, who lead the Western Conference with a 49-14 record, face the Los Angeles Clippers on their return to action.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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