Dr. Matthew Martinez has been a cardiologist for the NBA player’s association for nearly two years. It’s an important role that’s intensified during the pandemic. COVID-19’s threat to the heart can be serious, and, to assist those who tested positive, Martinez helped establish safety protocols for every player in the NBA. He’s a resource on call whenever they need him.
As a noninvasive cardiologist for New Jersey’s Atlantic Health System at Morristown Medical Center, Martinez also works with Major League Soccer, the Pac-12 and several similar institutions. This week, along with others in his field, Martinez plans to submit a paper he cowrote to JAMA Cardiology—a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal that’s published by the American Medical Association—that reveals new data about the heart-related effects COVID-19 has had on professional athletes across multiple leagues, including the NBA.