Reports reveal that Utah Jazz's team plate en route to Oklahoma City to duel with the Thunder was also used by the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Moments before tipoff between the Jazz and Thunder, news broke that Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19. Prior to the game, the NBA was reportedly about to announce that they will start holding closed-door games with just the teams and a limited crew. But right after news broke concerning Gobert, NBA commissioner Adam Silver quickly announced the postponement of the entire 2019-20 season.
#Breaking: The team plane used to transported the Utah Jazz to Oklahoma City was later used to transport both the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies in recent days. pic.twitter.com/2vUTOcKdR8
— Ben Bearup (@TheAviationBeat) March 12, 2020
Delta has quickly taken steps to prevent the coronavirus' spread. In addition, it's revealed that NBA teams share planes throughout the course of the season. As such, it justifies Silver's move to suspend the season immediately.
The use of common team planes is just another example of how interconnected the NBA is as a league and why they made the decision to suspend games this evening.
— Ben Bearup (@TheAviationBeat) March 12, 2020
In addition, the COVID-19 is asymptomatic in nature, meaning that a person infected with the virus may not necessarily show symptoms but can still infect other people. As such, though Gobert tested positive on Wednesday, those who came in contact with him before are still at risk. Reports reveal that the French man has shared the floor with 34 different players since Friday.
Slightly alarming 😳 pic.twitter.com/lRMLP2vdsM
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 12, 2020
The NBA has instructed most teams to self-quarantine. The Jazz are still in their locker rooms and are not permitted to fly home. The league will use the downtime to evaluate how they help prevent the spread of the virus. Also, with less than 20 games remaining for most teams and the playoffs just around the corner, the NBA will see how the season will pan out.
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