The 2019-20 NBA season is over for the foreseeable future.
On the day the World Health Organization has officially declared the CO-VID19 virus to be a global pandemic the league has taken the most drastic step it can.
For the NBA the day started with a meeting of team owners and league commissioner Adam Silver held in order to address the growing concerns over the virus. The Golden State Warriors were already planning to have the scheduled Thursday night game against the Brooklyn Nets in an empty Chase Center due to local government mandate. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski options were discussed that ranged from having the rest of the season in empty arenas to moving games to cities not currently having recorded cases of CO-VID19. The option of suspending the season was also on the table but looked like last resort at the time.
Then tonight before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz was set to start players were told to head back to the locker room. Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who was scratched from the starting lineup due to illness, is confirmed to have tested positive for the virus likely prompting the NBA to take action.