The NBA Season Is Suspended Until Further Notice After Rudy Gobert Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Oklahoma City

The coronavirus outbreak is starting to have major implications on not only the economy and the world overall, but also the world of sports. Amidst announcements that the 2020 NCAA Tournament would be held with only key personnel and family members in attendance, many had suspicions that more was coming.

Earlier today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the NBA was prepared to take precautionary measures in playing games going forward under the same parameters of action the NCAA took. The common fan would not be allowed to watch NBA games inside the arena.

The other, more severe option proposed was to actually put all NBA games on hiatus, but it appeared the majority of teams were more on board for simply eliminating fans from the arenas. According to Wojnarowski, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was expected to make the final decision on Thursday.

Several hours prior to the start of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz game in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune had announced that both Rudy Gobert and Emmanuel Mudiay of the Jazz were questionable to play in Oklahoma City due to illness. Regardless of the current climate of the COVID-19 disease spreading across the world, there was no indication their illness was related.

Wednesday evening, fans entered Chesapeake Energy Arena, like they always do before Thunder home games. Both teams did their typical pre-game shootaround and everything seemed fine. This was a huge game considering an Oklahoma City victory would give them sole possession of the 4th seed in the Western Conference.

What happened next would change the course of the current NBA season, and perhaps the future of the league overall.

Rather than teams tipping off like usual, something was off. Fans in the arena and watching on television wondered why the game hadn’t started. All of the sudden, both teams left the court and were escorted back to their respective locker rooms. The stadium announcer spoke over the stadium speakers, letting fans know the game was being postponed.

Roughly an hour after the game was supposed to begin, Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the biggest NBA news in a long time. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz had tested positive for coronavirus. This was the reason the Thunder game was suddenly called off.

Just minutes later, the fate of the NBA in the near future had been announced. The NBA would be indefinitely suspended.

Wojnarowski would go on to break the news that players on both teams were quarantined within Chesapeake Energy arena after the news that Gobert had tested positive.

Luckily for members of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gobert was never actually at the arena tonight, but was in Oklahoma City, per ESPN’s Royce Young.

While this is positive news, the coronavirus itself could still be found elsewhere around the league, as it can incubate in someone without showing symptoms for 2-14 days. With that in mind, any player on any given team across the league may have come across the disease even just within the past week. This goes to show why the league made such a rapid decision in suspending the season.

Sam Amick later reported that all Thunder players will be tested for coronavirus tonight. It should be assumed other teams across the league will be tested as well.

While there is no guarantee that the NBA season will continue at any point, what is clear is that the NBA will spend time during this pause in action to take the appropriate next steps. This is something that won’t be taken lightly, and there is a chance the 2019-20 NBA season will never be completed.

We will get more information in the coming hours, days, and weeks, but for now NBA basketball is on hold.