The NBA officially suspended the 2019-2020 season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus on Wednesday evening, and the decision to pause the season was made shortly thereafter, according to ESPN. After he tested positive, players on both his team and the Oklahoma City Thunder, their Wednesday night opponent, were quarantined in the arena, and the game was canceled.
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The Jazz revealed in a statement that Gobert was tested for influenza, strep throat, and an upper respiratory infection on Wednesday, according to ESPN. Then, after his symptoms diminished throughout the day, he was tested for the coronavirus, and it came back positive.
“The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminary tested positive for COVID-19,” the league said in a statement. “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,” it added. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
It remains unclear if or when the season will resume.
