Our worst fears with the COVID-19 virus in sports has been confirmed. After a player tested positive for the coronavirus today, the NBA has decided to suspend all games indefinitely. This includes any sort of game played without spectators. The league is officially shut down pending investigations.
The NBA has suspended the season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
When the idea that teams may have to play without fans in attendance came about, that was thought to have been the worst-case scenario. That has obviously changed as all NBA games are off. The sudden change in plans was motivated by a player testing positive for the virus just days after he made a joke about it to the media.
Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive and sent the entire league into a frenzy. The Jazz were in Oklahoma City for a game against the Thunder, and the two teams had to remain there for testing. The Jazz players were put in a temporary quarantine until their results can be verified.
How long this will last, no one really knows. The NBA and its officials are scheduled to meet on Thursday to decide the best way to proceed with the remainder of the season. It seems likely that the ban will continue though, as the hysteria behind COVID-19 is only trending up.
