Tall Blacks star Corey Webster on his third coronavirus lockdown: 'Happy to get home'

April 5, 2020

After stints in China and Italy, Webster is now back in New Zealand.

While the current coronavirus lockdown continues to play havoc with the lives of many Kiwis, spare a thought for Tall Blacks star Corey Webster, now living through his third separate quarantine.

Having left the Breakers for Chinese side Zhejian Lions in December last year, Webster was living in China when Covid-19 broke out in Wuhan.

In early February, Webster was forced to return home after Covid-19 saw the Chinese basketball league shut down due to fears over coronavirus.

However, Webster's coronavirus journey wouldn't end there, taking up a short-term deal with Italian side, Virtus Roma. Webster's plans were halted once again by Covid-19 with Italy quickly becoming the European epicentre of coronavirus.

After just one game for his new side, behind closed doors, the Italian basketball league was also suspended.

That left Webster in complete lockdown by himself in his new Italian surroundings.

After weeks' of isolation, Webster has now been able to return home to New Zealand, and is now staring a further two weeks' of isolation, a process he's more than familiar with by now.

"Obviously now everyone's in isolation," Webster told 1 NEWS.

"I kind of went through it before it'd even happened here, twice. Going through it in China, where obviously the virus first hit, then coming home and going to Italy and getting shut down again. It's pretty mentally challenging.

"It's been months now for me almost, but I'm happy to get home when I did. You've got to try and find the silver lining, and luckily I didn't get stuck over in Rome.

"Very surreal times."

Despite his ordeal though, Webster is still able to laugh about the last few months, Covid-19 seemingly following him from Asia, to Europe and now back home to New Zealand.

"It's chasing me around," he jokes.

"It was kind of expected, but there's the whole side of it when you get offered a guaranteed contract, you're going to get something out of it, whether it shuts down or keeps going.

"That was one of the reasons for going over there [Italy]. I didn't think it would get shut down as early as it did.

"I only got to play one game and then the shutdown happened."

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