Spread of coronavirus forces NBA to suspend season until further notice
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The spread of the coronavirus has forced the NBA to suspend the season following the conclusion of Wednesday’s games until further notice.
This news came after a Utah Jazz player preliminary tested positive for coronavirus, which forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s Jazz-Oklahoma City Thunder game just before tip-off at Chesapeake Energy Arena. According to multiple reports, Jazz center Rudy Gobert was the player who tested positive.
The league said it “will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
A statement from the Jazz read: “This morning a player on the Utah Jazz tested negative for influenza, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. The individual’s symptoms diminished over the course of today, however, in a precautionary measure, and in consultation and cooperation with NBA medical staff and Oklahoma health officials, the decision was made to test for COVID-19.
“A preliminary positive result came back right before tip-off of the Utah Jazz-Oklahoma City game. Subsequently, the decision was correctly made by the NBA to postpone the game. When it was determined that the individual would be tested, we immediately informed the league office.”
With Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus, it also forced the postponement of Wednesday night’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. According to Sam Amick from The Athletic, a referee who was scheduled to work the game in Sacramento was part of the crew for Monday’s game between the Jazz and Toronto Raptors featuring Gobert.
“Obviously, we literally just found out the news,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the learning of the league’s announcement following his team’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. “I found out as I was walking to the locker room. Our locker room is still stunned. This is a very serious time right now.
“I think the league moved appropriately and prudently, and we’ll all just have to monitor this situation and see where it goes from here, but I think this indicates where everything is right now and what we talked about yesterday, the day before, before the game. It remains the same, but now it’s heightened even more, our level of vigilance and we just have to sit back and observe and monitor the situation. But I think the league acted, like I said, appropriately to this.”
In addition, the NCAA announced Wednesday it would be banning fans from the NCAA Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Ohio. NCAA President Mark Emmert said Wednesday only essential staff and limited family will be allowed to attend the tournaments.
Conference tournament games for the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and American Athletic also will be without fans starting Thursday.
As for the NBA, the entire league is now put on hold until further notice.
“It just seemed like every single day there was a new development and that’s why, even before the game, I just said I was taking a step back just to monitor and wait for word from the league,” Spoelstra said. “Thankfully, we’ve gotten a first level of communication. There will be another conference call with the league [Thursday]. We’ll find out more. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to tell our players too much, but that’s where we are right now. We’re in the present moment, basically hour-to-hour, until we find out the next piece of news.”
