The National Basketball Association announced on Wednesday (March 11) they would be suspending the rest of the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus.
Gloria Tso reports.
The NBA said on Wednesday (March 11) that it would be suspending the rest of the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the virus.
Wednesday night's games will be the last until further notice.
The announcement was made shortly before tip-off of a game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
That game was then scrapped.
The affected player, reportedly center Rudy Gobert, was not in the arena at the time according to the NBA.
Before the game, the Utah Jazz tweeted that Gobert and fellow player Emmanuel Mudiay were out for the game due to an illness.
The NBA said on Twitter that they would, quote, "use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic." Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. health official Anthony Fauci had already told Congress that NBA teams should play their games without crowds.
The pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the North American sports calendar.
Earlier in the day, the figure skating world championships were cancelled, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced that college basketball's annual 'March Madness' tournament would take place without fans in attendance.
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