THE NBA has suspended all games until further notice. So too has the G-League -and that’s official.
The decision was announced on Wednesday night after a Utah Jazz player tested positive with the Coronavirus infection, COVID-19.
The player in question is Rudy Gobert and his test result was reported shortly before the start of the game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder. He was not present at the Chesapeake Energy Arena and the game was immediately cancelled
The NBA, who had already decided to only allow games to be played in empty arenas, immediately decided to go a step further. They ruled that all games under their control should be postponed indefinitely until further notice
According to the ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they also ordered all teams who had played the Jazz in the last 10 days to self-quarantine. They include the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and the Thunder.
The Utah Jazz statement
Later on Wednesday night, the Jazz released a statement. It 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 that game.
“When it was determined that the individual would be tested, we immediately informed the league office. The health and safety of our players, our organization, those throughout our league, and all those potentially impacted by this situation are paramount in our discussions.
“We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma and Utah state officials and the NBA to determine how to best move forward as we gather more information.
“The individual is currently in the care of health officials in Oklahoma City. In coordination with the NBA and state officials, we will provide updates at the appropriate time. “