NBA Player Rudy Gobert Apologizes After Touching Microphones 2 Days Before Testing Positive For Coronavirus
UPDATE:
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert issued an apology after a video surfaced Thursday in which he was shown deliberately touching a set of microphones at a press conference just two days before he tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the suspension of the NBA season.
"At the time," he wrote on Twitter, "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."
The NBA announced Gobert had tested positive on Wednesday night as the game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed. On Thursday, his teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive.
The announcement comes as other sports institution announces postponements of their seasons, including the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. On Thursday afternoon, the NCAA announced that it was cancelling its men's and women's Division I college basketball tournaments.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert’s joke about the coronavirus on Monday (March 9) seems to have backfired as he has now been tested positive for COVID-19.
During a pregame interview, the 27-year-old decided to make an exaggerated exit, touching the mouth pieces of all the reporters’ microphones and recorders before walking out, seemingly joking about the precautions the NBA set, PEOPLE reports.
On Wednesday (March 11) the NBA announced a suspension of the remainder of the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus.
“The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminary tested positive for COVID-19. The test was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena,” the NBA said in a statement. “The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
Gobert was identified as the player who tested positive for the deadly disease, the Associated Press reports. Following the announcement, a video surfaced on social media of Monday’s incident in the media room.
The NBA’s suspension comes just after the NCAA announced that March Madness will take place without the attendance of fans. According to The New York Times, as of March 11, there are at least 1,240 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States.
