Photo: Chilliciogazette
The NBA announced on Wednesday night that they will suspend the season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus prior to their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game was called off just before tipoff at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
NBA To Suspend Season Following Tonight’s Games pic.twitter.com/2PTx2fkLlW
— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2020
Sources say that Gobert is feeling “good, strong, and stable” and was well enough to play against the Thunder.
Players from Jazz and Thunder were quarantined in Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The NBA is the first major sports league across North America to suspend their season due to the coronavirus. Many hockey leagues across Europe have canceled the rest of their seasons.
The infected player was not in at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday.
The NCAA announced earlier in the day that they will play the March Madness tournament with no fans, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks announced that they would play upcoming games without fans to comply with state and local government orders.
It’s important to note that many NHL teams share arenas with NBA teams, including the Washington Capitals.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the NHL will not suspend play immediately. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun added to expect a statement from the league on Wednesday.
Expect a statement from the NHL tonight.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 12, 2020
From NBA
NEW YORK — The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At that time, tonight’s game was canceled. The affected player was not in the arena.
The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
By Harrison Brown
