Toronto Raptors centre Khem Birch says he and his family had COVID-19
TORONTO - Khem Birch has finally rejoined the Toronto Raptors after recovering from COVID-19.
The Montreal centre spoke to the media for the first time this season after Monday morning's shootaround, and said he and his family arrived in Toronto on Sept. 18, and within the week they had all tested positive for the virus.
“I lost my smell and a little bit of fatigue,” Birch said of his symptoms. “But I think I can come back. I feel good now. I think game shape is different, just not playing. We'll see tonight.”
The Raptors, who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, hosted the Houston Rockets in a pre-season game Monday.
“We're all 100 per cent fully vaccinated too, so thank God,” Birch said of his family. “If we weren't it probably would have been worse.”
The 29-year-old Birch said his wife lost her sense of taste and smell while their daughter suffered no symptoms.
It wasn't the start to the season Birch had hoped for after signing a three-year US$20-million deal with Toronto in the off-season. Orlando bought out the Canadian late last season and he was impressive in his 19 appearances with the Raptors to end their 2020-21 season in Tampa, Fla., averaging 11.9 points and grabbing 7.6 rebounds a game.
Birch hopes he can bounce back quickly.
“I can probably feel good after tonight's game or (Tuesday),” he said. “I usually get in shape quick. Luckily, we have a whole week of practices before our first (regular-season) game. Right now I'm just gonna go out and play as hard as I can, not worry about the box score, just worry about getting the W.”
The Raptors are without fellow Montreal centre Chris Boucher, who had surgery last week to repair a dislocated finger. Pascal Siakam is recovering from shoulder surgery while Yuta Watanabe is sidelined with a calf strain.
Toronto hosts Washington on Tuesday to wrap up their pre-season. The Raptors open the regular season on Oct. 20 against the visiting Washington Wizards.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.