Shortly before the start of the game between Thunders and Jazz, it was announced that Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert was found positive for having contracted the COVID-19 virus. It was reported that the game was seconds away from starting when the Thunder’s head medical staffer sprinted onto the court to talk to referees. Players from both teams then left for their locker rooms.
There was then a 20-minute delay before the arena’s public-address announcer informed the crowd that the game had been postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Shortly after the incident, the NBA has announced that it will suspend the season indefinitely.
Earlier in the week, Gobert joked about the virus in a pregame press conference. He even touched the microphones and recorders laid out in front of him after the interview.