On Wednesday night, the NBA announced it would suspend play indefinitely and would use the hiatus to determine what steps should be taken next. This announcement followed the news that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus and the Oklahoma City versus Utah Jazz game was postponed 35 minutes following the scheduled tip-off time.
The NBA has suspended the season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
The NBA released the following statement:
“The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The affected player was not in the arena.”
The NBA is suspending play following the conclusion of Wednesday night’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to “determine the next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Golden State Warriors had already announced on Wednesday that their game on Thursday versus the Nets would be played in front of a closed arena with no fans due to the imposed ban on large groups by the City of San Francisco. Also on Wednesday, the NCAA announced its National Championship Tournament games would not be played in front of fans, and only essential staff and some family would be allowed to attend the games.
It is safe to say other leagues such as the MLB and NHL will likely follow suit with their own modified or full-fledged postponement of games.
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