Athletes are arguably pretty darn talented in whatever sport they partake in for a living.
But what do they do when their sport is on hiatus? With the sports world on lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, athletes from the NBA to soccer and beyond are letting us know what they are up to.
Some, such as Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, are pretending they are still in the game. He posted on both TikTok and Twitter himself donning his full game uniform for pretend intros in his living room.
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) March 16, 2020
What if we check in on Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller? He’s attempting to acquire new hobbies — and we’re not sure if they’re going well.
I think ESPN should continue to cover professional athletes this week as we each try to learn new skills and hobbies at home in our free time.
“Let’s check in on Cody Zeller in Charlotte as he’s trying to learn how to cook….Uh oh is that the smoke alarm?!”
— Cody Zeller (@CodyZeller) March 15, 2020
Yesterday I decided that I was going to teach myself how to play guitar. I gave up after lesson 3 of a YouTube tutorial and my fingers hurt.
I’m realizing that there isn’t much in life that actually I’m good at other than basketball! And honestly some would even argue that!
— Cody Zeller (@CodyZeller) March 15, 2020
Liverpool’s Gini Wijnaldum is trying his hand at pingpong.
Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets is possibly trying to become the best Monopoly player out there.
I did win the toy story monopoly game if anyone cares 😂🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/TUWdNPIm6z
— Jeff McNeil (@JeffMcNeil805) March 14, 2020
And Austrian golfer Matthias Schwab is working on how to uniquely use his golf club.
#StayAtHomeChallenge – Golf 🧻🏌🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/cMsvrllVQ2
— Matthias Schwab (@schwab_matth) March 16, 2020
Some athletes are hoping they are still in tip-top shape when their sport comes back. Serge Ibaka of the Toronto Raptors is keeping us motivated to stay fit with a home gym.
Built my own little gym at home during the self quarantine… need to stay in shape! I hope everyone is staying safe, following the experts advise and keeping positive and calm. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/GGXrTk64Nn
— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka) March 14, 2020
Alexis Sanchez, a forward for Serie A club Inter Milan, posted himself lifting logs with his two dogs by his side. The 31-year-old has been working his way back from injury.
Lucas Vázquez of Real Madrid also posted himself working out in his backyard, joined by his adorable son.
Not sure if this counts as working out, but Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young is getting his basketball game on one way or another at home.
What I’m doing to keep my shot right while I’m at the Crib….🤣😷 #InHouseChallenge pic.twitter.com/h7N7J74S6D
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 17, 2020
If you aren’t able to workout at an elite level like Sergio Ramos is …
Teletrabajo. // Teleworking. 🏃🏻♂ 🏋🏻♂#YoEntrenoEnCasa #ITrainAtHome pic.twitter.com/BXZh85Ad6o
— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) March 14, 2020
… you can try dancing! Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Liverpool was working on some sweet moves with his girlfriend, singer Perrie Edwards.
Oklahoma City Thunder players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Darius Bazley are convincing everyone they could become professional dancers.
Nobody does social distancing better than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Nobody. #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/l2IW0Dx3gR
— Up The Thunder (@UpTheThunder) March 15, 2020
ICYMI: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Darius Bazley are doing their part to keep us entertained during the sports shutdown. pic.twitter.com/yJtLmG8TYD
— Daily Thunder (@dailythunder) March 15, 2020
And Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen has the empty-clubhouse dance down pat.
Andrew McCutchen knows what to do when given an empty clubhouse pic.twitter.com/DjtrttjfmW
— Michael Clair (@michaelsclair) March 13, 2020
But leave it to LeBron James to show us how to do it all. He has spent time in the gym with his sons.
LeBron hitting the gym with his sons earlier today. pic.twitter.com/iaA3DqsuoF
— LeBron Wire (@LeBron_Wire) March 14, 2020
James has also reminisced on his time playing for the Miami Heat with his good friend Dwyane Wade.
“Man we had more lobs in 4 years than the history of franchises itself 🤣🤣🤣”
LeBron James (@KingJames) was reminiscing on all of the alley-oops he and (@DwyaneWade) had together over the years on his first day off since the NBA’s indefinite suspension. pic.twitter.com/YitqqlNQjb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 13, 2020
But most importantly, James has become a full-fledged TikTok dad.
LeBron James is using the NBA hiatus to transition to full time Tik Tok Dad pic.twitter.com/l6msnoHcSs
— LeBron Wire (@LeBron_Wire) March 14, 2020
And shout out to esports and gaming. We have a full list of how athletes turned to Twitch over the weekend. It certainly is the perfect time to become a gamer.
Here’s more on how the coronavirus is affecting sports in the U.S. and around the world:
