PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JANUARY 10: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns sits on the bench during introductions to the NBA game against the Orlando Magic at Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 10, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Magic 98-94. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The coronavirus outbreak got real for the NBA Wednesday night with a positive test and a suspended season. Suns star Devin Booker found out during a live stream on Twitch.
The NBA went crazy on Wednesday night with a cascade of events that was bewildering to watch unfold in real-time. Just moments before the Thunder and Jazz were about to tip-off, a medical staff member from the Jazz came sprinting out to talk to the officials. The officials conferred and sent both teams back to the locker room. It was announced in the arena and on the television broadcast that the game was being postponed but it was a while before the explanation broke.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania was the first to report that the game had been postponed because Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Shortly after that, the NBA released a statement saying that the season was suspended (it has not yet clarified if this means canceled or postponed). From there, things spiraled as fans and journalists on social media worked to connect the dots between teams that had recently come into contact with Gobert and the Jazz. In the background, there was a stream of bizarre stories about media quarantines at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
It mad for a surreal evening and it was apparently just as shocking for the players to follow. Devin Booker was in the middle of a live stream on Twitch when he received the news (warning: language NSFW).
To date, more than 115,000 cases (and 4,200 deaths) have been confirmed in more than 110 countries worldwide, including the United States, which has seen more than 1,000 affected Americans and 31 deaths. The World Health Organization officially declared it a pandemic on March 9 and countries have implemented curfews, travel bans and mandatory quarantines to help prevent its spread.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.