NBA Postpones Season in Response to Coronavirus
The NBA has announced this evening that following Wednesday's games, the season will be suspended indefinitely to address coronavirus concerns. Their decision came after Utah Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. According to the Associated Press, games will not continue for at least two weeks. Furthermore, any team that has played the Jazz in the past 10 days have been mandated to self-quarantine, including the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Oklahoma City Thunder, the latter of which they were scheduled to play tonight. However, teams are still allowed to practice.
This statement comes after extensive discussion and consideration by the NBA over the past few days regarding how to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. The NBA had warned its players and staff about the possibility of playing in empty arenas, and this was a step that was highly likely to be taken; the NCAA has already gone through with this decision for March Madness.
The coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, now infecting over 1,000 people in this country. As the number of cases increase, it is not implausible to assume other leagues will follow in the NBA's footsteps. According to sources, the NBA will use the hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in accordance to this pandemic.
