The National Basketball Association has decided to suspend their season, in reaction to the coronavirus.
The announcement came shortly after a game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, after a player on the Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus.
The NBA released a statement announcing their decision:
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The NBA has suspended the season in the wake of the Coronavirus Crisis. Its official statement: pic.twitter.com/x3X6pddmSq
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 12, 2020
As ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Twitter, the league will use the suspension of play to determine what steps to take going forward.
The NBA "will use hiatus to determine next steps moving forward," league says. https://t.co/tWoRO8pbfT
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
Wojnarowski also identified the Jazz player infected with the virus.
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The Jazz and Thunder players are currently quarantined in the OKC arena, league sources tell ESPN. This is following Rudy Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
Most NBA teams have roughly 11 games left in the regular season. However, the league’s elongated postseason runs all the way until June. Though, with only half the league involved in the postseason, the league could opt to have teams play in arenas that are removed from areas thought to be more at high risk for contamination.
Another possible solution could be to have teams that are already mathematically eliminated from playoff competition, end their season early to minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
According to reports, the NBA will soon begin testing all of its players for the virus, perhaps as soon as tonight.
There's a growing belief among league executives the NBA will begin testing players for the coronavirus soon. Possibly as soon as tonight following the slate of games.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) March 12, 2020
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Other sports leagues will likely take similar action, most notably, Major League Baseball. MLB is currently playing spring training games in front of large crowds. Not only that, the beginning of the league’s regular season is less than a month away.
Story cited here.
