The Jazz were in Oklahoma City for a road game against the Thunder when the team was informed right before tip-off that Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19.
Adam Silver wasted no-time and immediately suspended the game and the rest of the NBA season in a matter of minutes issuing the following statement:
The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of Wednesday’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.
Silver is widely regarded as an excellent commissioner by both owners and players and clearly handled the breaking news in the right fashion. The NBA was already in the process of trying to figure out how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and planned on making announcement on Thursday.
The rumor mill had the NBA continuing to play games in empty arenas, but when Rudy Gobert tested positive it was clear to the NBA and Adam Silver that the games must not go on. Silver who appears to be well informed about Covid-19 wasted no-time in also preventing the Pelicans vs Kings game from starting.
Reaction from around the league and fans has all been supportive, but like The Dallas Mavericks owner Marc Cubans reaction, we are all in shock.
Mark Cuban reacts to the news pic.twitter.com/AJaqPLdvqg
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 12, 2020
Statement from the Utah Jazz
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 the 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.