The NBA suspended the season Wednesday night after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, that player is All-Star center Rudy Gobert.
According to a league statement, the player's test result was reported just prior to the start of Wednesday night's game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At that time, the game was cancelled.
The NBA has suspended the season in the wake of the Coronavirus Crisis. Its official statement: pic.twitter.com/x3X6pddmSq
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 12, 2020
The NBA announced it was indefinitely suspending the season following the completion of Wednesday's games. About an hour later, however, the Kings' game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center was called off shortly before tipoff.
The G League announced it would also suspend its season hours after the NBA's announcement.
The NBA’s G-League has suspended its season pic.twitter.com/NNeESfhOUP
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) March 12, 2020
Shortly before tipoff in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Thunder's head medical doctor sprinted out on the court to discuss the situation with the officials. At that point, the two teams were sent back to their locker rooms, and minutes later, the arena PA announcer informed those in attendance that the game had been postponed.
.@royceyoung reports that the Thunder-Jazz game was seconds away from tipping off when the Thunder's head medical staffer sprinted onto the floor to talk to referees in Oklahoma City.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2020
At that point, players and staff were sent back to their respective locker rooms. pic.twitter.com/WsSOU09kVP
In a statement released Wednesday night, the Warriors said they "completely support" the decision to suspend the season.
"As we noted earlier today, with the escalating situation surrounding COVID-19, we find ourselves in a rapidly-changing environment by the day, if not the hour," the statement read. "We have seen that precise scenario unfold over the course of today and we completely support the NBA’s decision to suspend our season until further notice. The health and safety of our fans, staff and players has always been, and always will be, our top priority."
Earlier Wednesday evening, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the consensus from the NBA Board of Governors was to continue the current season with no fans at games, pending commissioner Adam Silver's approval.
New story filed to ESPN:
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 11, 2020
The NBA’s Board of Governors shared a consensus on Wednesday to continue the season playing games without fans in arenas amid the coronavirus crisis, and Commissioner Adam Silver is expected to move in that direction with a decision on Thursday.
The commissioner was expected to make a determination Thursday, but it appears the unusual scene in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night expedited that process.