Minimum 30-day NBA shutdown; Rudy Gobert apologizes after teammate contracts coronavirus
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league is postponing games for a minimum of 30 days after two players contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus.
League sources told Yahoo Sports that decision was made during a conference call that included Silver and NBA owners Thursday afternoon. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported owners are encouraging Silver to reevaluate the league’s suspension in 30 days. Silver told TNT on Thursday night the NBA shutdown will last “at least 30 days.”
The Kings released a statement expressing both disappointment and support for the league’s decision to postpone games due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has caused cancellations of major sporting events across the country. The Kings were preparing to play a nationally televised game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday when the NBA suspended its season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert became the first player to test positive for the coronavirus. Teammate Donovan Mitchell was later reported to have the virus.
Gobert and Mitchell issued statements on Instagram acknowledging their positive tests results. Gobert expressed embarrassment after he playfully rubbed his hands on reporters’ microphones and voice recorders while making light of growing coronavirus concerns during a news conference Monday.
“I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support over the last 24 hours,” Gobert said. “I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis … mostly fear, anxiety and embarrassment. The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously.”
Sources told ESPN that Gobert acted carelessly in the Jazz locker room in the days before his positive test result, touching other players and their belongings. Mitchell seemingly made reference to Gobert’s behavior in his Instagram post.
“Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test,” Mitchell said. “We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and the well being of those around them.”
The Jazz’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed Wednesday after Gobert’s positive test result was reported. A game between Sacramento and New Orleans later Wednesday at Golden 1 Center was postponed when the Pelicans refused to take the floor after discovering referee Courtney Kirkland officiated a Jazz game Monday.
The NBA appeared to be moving toward playing games in empty arenas earlier Wednesday, but the league promptly announced it was suspending its season “until further notice” after Gobert was diagnosed.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the NBA has informed all 30 teams of policies effective now through March 16, including: all players must remain in their team’s market; players should remain home as long as possible; no group workouts or practices will be permitted; team trainers and physicians must speak to each player at least once a day.
The Kings addressed the situation in a statement released Thursday.
“The health and safety of our fans, employees, players, partners and community has always been, and will always be, our top priority,” the Kings said. “While we are disappointed the season has been suspended, we fully support the NBA’s decision to postpone games. We will continue to stay in contact with the league, local, state and federal health authorities and medical experts as we closely monitor this public health crisis.”
The Kings also announced that tickets already purchased for postponed games will be honored when the game is rescheduled. If games are not played or played in empty arenas, ticket holders will have the option to receive a refund or a credit for a future game.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 4:28 PM.
