Conley leaves NBA bubble to attend son's birth

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Orlando, August 17: Mike Conley has left the NBA bubble in Orlando to attend the birth of his son, the Utah Jazz announced on Sunday (August 16).

Point guard Conley has returned to Columbus, Ohio on the eve of Utah's series opener against the Denver Nuggets at the start of the playoffs.

The 32-year-old averaged 14.4 points and 4.4 assists during the regular season, his first in Utah since arriving via a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

"It's much bigger than basketball, him being there with his family and Mary is priority number one right now," Jazz team-mate Joe Ingles told the media.

"We 100 per cent support [him] and when he's ready to come back we'll obviously have him with open arms."

The sixth-seeded Jazz are also due to play on Wednesday (August 19), Friday (August 21) and Sunday (August 23) in the best-of-seven series, with it remaining unclear if Conley will feature.

Approved departures from the bubble for less than seven days require a player to quarantine for four days upon returning, provided they have tested negative for COVID-19 during their absence.