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Larry Nance Jr., Olympic gold medalist among athletes whose preexisting health conditions complicate return to sports

The gradual return of sports training and competition presents a number of obvious logistical and ethical challenges for professional leagues and players, but largely hinges on the premise that the athletes are “low-risk candidates” to contract COVID-19.

But a handful of immunocompromised athletes will face a more nuanced decision regarding their own safety, as addressed by the New York Times’ Marc Stein in a tweet about Cleveland Cavaliers center Larry Nance Jr. Thursday.

Nance Jr. was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at 16 and receives a 2 ½- to 3-hour infusion of the drug Remicade – which is commonly used to weaken overactive immune responses – every six weeks during the NBA season.