(NBA arenas will be empty due to Coronavirus)
The Coronavirus seems to be everywhere. It has been found in cities, in rural towns, in office buildings and even in nursing homes. The latest place it has been found is in the National Basketball Association.
And the NBA is not playing when it comes to the health of their teams. Literally. There will be no playing of any games indefinitely since the NBA suspended its season Wednesday night following the information that one of it’s players was tested positive for the virus.
At the last NBA game Wednesday night, players were on the floor for warm-ups when they were told to return to the locker rooms. About 30 minutes later, fans were told by the public-address announcer that the game was postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
“The game was canceled out of an abundance of caution,” the NBA said.
“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of [Wednesday’s] schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement issued shortly after 9:30 p.m. ET. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The player is Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. That led to Utah’s game at Oklahoma City being postponed just before tipoff.
The NBA is expected to address next steps with teams when it conducts a call with the board of governors at 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Also Wednesday, the NBA G League announced in a statement that it has “suspended the 2019-20 season, effective after tonight’s games.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said during ESPN’s broadcast of Dallas’ victory over the Denver Nuggets that he was shocked by the news that the season was being suspended.
He said, “I mean, it’s not within the realm of possibility. It seemed more like…
…out of a movie than reality.”
Cuban then added that he isn’t an expert and defers to NBA commissioner Adam Silver on these matters.
After the game, Cuban said teams have been told they can continue to practice, and he added that players have been told they should not have visitors from out of town.
So what’s next?
The regular-season stoppage will be at least two weeks so all players affected can go through quarantine and, one hopes, be cleared of the virus. In reality, it probably will be longer. By comparison, when the virus broke out in China, the Chinese Basketball Association suspended play in late January. The CBA is in the process of resuming play in early April, roughly a 10-week layoff.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
