One week ago, yesterday, the sports world mulled the idea of teams, specifically the NCAA and National Basketball Association (NBA) playing without audiences in the wake of COVID-19, a strain of the coronavirus that was spreading across the globe in recent months. One moment on an NBA court in Oklahoma City, OK on Mar. 11 changed that idea completely and the unthinkable took place as a result.
Before the Utah Jazz took on the Oklahoma City Thunder back on Mar. 11, news came out that All-Star center Rudy Gobert became the first athlete to test positive for coronavirus.
The positive test comes just 48 hours after Gobert mocked the virus by touching all the microphones and recording devices in front of him during his presser.
“I wish I would’ve taken this thing more seriously. And I hope everyone else will do so because we can do it together,” Gobert said in his apology over Twitter @rudygobert27.
He added after being tested positive for COVID-19, “I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support over the last 24 hours. 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 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. I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as a way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus. I am under great care and will fully recover.”
The next day after the team was quarantined until about 1:15 in the morning at Chesapeake Energy Arena after their contest at the Thunder was canceled and the team was tested for COVID-19, Gobert’s teammate in All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell tested positive for COVID-19.
“Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test. 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 for the well-being of those around them,” Mitchell said in an Instagram post @spidamitchell. “I appreciate the authorities in Oklahoma who were helpful with the testing process and everyone from the @utahjazz who have been so supportive. I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help.”
He added on Monday saying to ABC News’ Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America” via facetime he is doing “fine.”
“Things are going well. Just in isolation. Got a unique setup, but no fever; no symptoms as of right now, and I’m just blessed to be able to be okay.”
Mitchell said that the doctors told him the biggest thing for his recovery is to stay in isolation and just to keep to himself.
He also addressed Gobert’s cavalier attitude towards COVID-19 saying it took him a while to “cool off,” but said to Roberts that he is glad that both of them are doing okay.
Mitchell is especially happy that it was just he and Gobert who contracted the coronavirus and not anyone else on the Jazz.
“At the end of the day, neither him nor I have children at home, you know? I know some teammates that have children. I have some staff that have children at home. So, I’m just glad we were able to kind of contain it as much as possible.”
Over the weekend, Detroit Pistons big man Christian Wood, whose team had played against the Jazz on Mar. 7 tested positive for coronavirus.
On Tuesday, four Brooklyn Nets players have tested positive for coronavirus. ESPN has reported that one of the four Nets testing positive for COVID-19 was perennial All-Star and two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant. There of the four Nets according to the organization have shown no signs of symptoms. All four of the players are currently in isolation and undergoing medical care from team doctors.
“The organization is currently notifying anyone who has had known contact with the players, including recent opponents, and is working closely with state and local health authorities on reporting. All players and members of the Nets travel party are being asked to remain isolated, closely monitor their health and maintain constant communication with team medical staff.”
While other NBA games that night between the New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, won by the Knicks 136-131; Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat, won by the Hornets 109-98; the Philadelphia 76ers won versus the Pistons 124-106; and the Dallas Mavericks won versus Denver Nuggets 133-97 were able to conclude, the last contest with the New Orleans Pelicans at the Sacramento Kings was canceled as the NBA season was suspended by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
That was followed by the NCAA cancelling the remainder of spring and winter championships, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Major League Baseball canceled the remainder of spring training and moved back Opening Day at least two weeks, for now.
The National Hockey League also suspended their season and pro golf’s first major tournament of the year, The Masters, which was scheduled for Apr. 9-12 has been postponed, with the remainder of the Players Championship, Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, FL, WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in Austin, TX, and Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, TX have all been canceled.
Now, the NBA has sent a memo on Thursday afternoon that starting this Friday all 30 NBA teams must close their practice and training facilities to players and staff until further notice, a source told ESPN.
Gobert, who was not in the arena was reportedly out for the game because of illness, according to a report had said in a statement a player—not identifying Gobert at that time—testing negative for the flu, strep throat, and an upper respiratory infection.
The identified player’s symptoms, which later was reported to be Gobert’s did diminish as the day went on, Oklahoma Health Officials in getting this news decided to test him for COVID-19, which came back positive, according to Oklahoma City KOCO-TV 5 news anchor Abigail Ogle.
While Gobert was in Oklahoma City, he was not in the arena and just before the game was about to tip-off, word came out that Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, which led Donnie Strack, Director of Medical Services for the Thunder rushed onto the court, grab the three referee’s, the respective head coaches in Quin Snyder for the Jazz and Billy Donovan of the Thunder, and Thunder assistant general manager Rob Hennigan, who arrived to that huddle.
That led to a state of shock and confusion inside Chesapeake Energy Arena as the players from both teams huddled by their benches and the fans in the arena were simply shocked and confused as to why the game had yet to tip off.
Moments later, the fans were told by the public address announcer that the game was postponed and to leave the arena as the game was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The fans that came to the game were not at risk for the virus because it is spread only through respiratory droplets and only those in close contact would be at risk, according to a tweet that was sent from the Oklahoma City Department of Health.
The players were then escorted to their respective locker room, where the Jazz team from the players, coaches to the members of their entire travel party—as well as three local media members were tested that night in their locker room.
While Thunder players and their staff were able to depart the arena without having to go through coronavirus testing, the Jazz were at the arena affectionately called “The Peak” remained there well into the night and early morning.
Ogle said to Tamron Hall on “The Tamron Hall Show” the last week that there was a chance that the Jazz could have been quarantined for the night in the arena. It was not until little after 1:15 a.m. they were allowed to board the team buses and traveled to one of the Oklahoma City’s major hotels, which had to be completely shut down and cleaned and disinfected.
This pandemic has not just had an affect on the leagues, teams and players, it has also put a strain on the vendors, the people who handle tickets, the support staff of the arenas who count on these events to get paid to take care of themselves as well as provide for their families.
With that gone for who knows how long, the question for them is how will the be able to get paid to progress in life.
One person stepping to the plate is Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love who said last Friday that he will be donating $100,000 of his own salary to the staff of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Cavaliers organization also said they will compensate those employees for every event is still taking place.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ABC News’ Linsey Davis on the Mar. 13 edition of “Nightline” that all employees that work for the Dallas Mavericks, especially for the staff that works on gameday at American Airlines Center will be compensated even if their season does continue at some point.
“We’ll compensate them in advanced, even if the games might be played in the future, we’ll still compensate them now so they can pay their bills. And we’ll do that for arena employees for the Mavs games and for hourly employees that work for the Mavericks that might not get those hours,” Cuban said.
Mitchell told Roberts that he is working on a partnership with the Salt Lake City Granite School District to provide meals to the 66,000 kids of those 88 to 90 schools within that district of Utah.
“That particular school district in Salt Lake City is home to some of the most vulnerable children in Salt Lake,” Mitchell said. “So, I just want to be able to just give back because like I said, time will tell. You really don’t know. You can’t say. Doctors can’t pinpoint a day. And so, for parents who might not have the money, you know? Not being able to send their kids off to school to get food I think is a scary feeling for them, and I want to be able to make sure that their set and they understand that guys like myself and whoever may have their back.”
It was around this time a week ago the idea was floating out there that we can still have the escape of sports to take our minds away for at least a couple of hours in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. That all changed on Wednesday night, Mar. 11 when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus with his teammate Donovan Mitchell, the Pistons Christian Wood, the Nets Kevin Durant and three other unnamed NBA players that followed, along with two New York Yankee minor leaguers as well.
By the sports world being either suspended or canceled has prevented more people from getting sick and has shown that the sports world can keep perspective that our health and well-being is more important than money.
Sports will be back in our lives eventually. When that is, we have no idea. For now, we need to find ways to keep busy and entertain ourselves as we battle this pandemic of COVID-19 that simply put has brought a lot of perspective to what is important in our lives.
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/11/2020 www.espn.com story, “Sources: Jazz Center Rudy Gobert Tests Positive For Coronavirus,” by Royce Young; 3/12/2020 www.news9.com story, “Utah Jazz Leave ‘The Peake’ After Coronavirus Testing,” by Caleb Califano; 3/12/2020 10 a.m. edition of “Tamron Hall Show,” with Tamron Hall; 3/13/2020 12:37 a.m. edition of ABC News’ “Nightline,” with Byron Pitts, with report from Linsey Davis; 3/13/2020 7 a.m. edition of ABC News “Good Morning America” with Cecilia Vega, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee, with report from T.J. Holmes; 3/16/2020 7 a.m. edition of ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” with Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, and Ginger Zee, with report from Paula Faris; 3/17/2020 5 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with Kevin Negandhi and Nicole Briscoe, with report from ESPN NBA Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski; 3/17/2020 5 p.m. edition of “WCBS 2 News at 5 p.m. with Kristine Johnson;” 3/19/2020 www.espn.com story, “Coronavirus Cancellations And Reactions In Sports;” and 3/19/2020 www.espn.com story, “Sources: NBA Directs Teams To Close Practice Facilities,” by Tim Bontemps.
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