The NBA was fully prepared to go forward with games with no fans before Rudy Gobert's positive coronavirus test quickly resulted in a suspension of the 2019-20 season. Gobert's positive test acted as a wake-up call and really got people around the league paying attention to COVID-19.

Before the suspension, the league held calls with owners and executives to determine the best course of action. While most teams realized playing games with fans wasn't an option, the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers reportedly expressed a desire to continue playing with fans.

One executive suggested to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post there were actually a number of teams that were truly “clueless” about the potential scale of this coronavirus pandemic:

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“I was shocked by the number of teams that were clueless at the size that [the coronavirus] would get to,” said one high-ranking executive privy to leaguewide conversations. “Some teams that hadn’t faced an outbreak in their communities didn’t think it was worth talking about.”

Once Gobert tested positive, though, the decision to suspend the season was easy. Owners were reportedly fully aware that just a single positive test would result in a suspension. Donovan Mitchell soon became the second player to test positive for COVID-19.

The big question now is just how long this hiatus lasts. The initial timeline is 30 days, but it's hard to see it not dragging out longer than that given what has happened in other countries. While the NBA would prefer to resume the 2019-20 season again at some point down the line, potentially even playing deep into the summer, there is still a possibility of a full cancellation.

Players are currently being told to remain in their home market to effectively self-quarantine as the NBA does its best to combat the spread of this virus.