As the global pandemic of COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread around the globe, a number of the world’s most recognizable brands and institutions are being forced to make tough decisions.
Google has over 10,000 employees now working from home. Schools around the nation are closing every day. Self-quarantine is just the new staycation.
The only problem is, if we’re going to be stuck at home during this outbreak, we won’t have much basketball to watch.
The NBA announced Wednesday night it is suspending its season after a Utah Jazz player preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
The league said it is halting operations “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.”
While the league did not name the Jazz player in its news release, a person familiar with the situation confirmed it was Utah center Rudy Gobert. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
Earlier on Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and team owners conducted a conference call to discuss their next steps amid the growing coronavirus outbreak. The league was leaning toward playing games with essential personnel and no fans, but there was a small group of owners who pushed to suspend operations.
The NCAA basketball tournament, known colloquially as March Madness, is still on for the time being, although the games on both the men’s and women’s will be closed to fans in an abundance of caution.
