NBA Players React to News of League Suspending Season
The NBA announced on Wednesday night that it is suspending play until further notice after a Utah Jazz player preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert was the player who contracted COVID-19, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
A number of players took to social media following the news to express their thoughts on the matter:
Man we cancelling sporting events, school, office work, etc etc. What we really need to cancel is 2020! 🤦🏾♂️. Damn it’s been a rough 3 months. God bless and stay safe🙏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 12, 2020
Was just on the phone with Rudy. He is doing good man. Lets not panick everyone. Love you all❤️
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) March 12, 2020
wow bro wow
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) March 12, 2020
This has been a wild rookie year!
— Eric Paschall (@epaschall) March 12, 2020
I hope all the players take some time to really work on life outside of basketball . Using your resources and celebrity to your advantage . Take the meetings. Diversify and learn to explore other avenues of income while you’re still in the league. Bc when it’s over it’s over !
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) March 12, 2020
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 12, 2020
Devin Booker finding out NBA season canceled on livestream, continues play video games pic.twitter.com/RE03dDkJj1
— We-ston al Gaib (@westonblasi) March 12, 2020
2020 is being very bad year!! stay safe folks🙏
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) March 12, 2020
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reacted to the news during his team's game against the Nuggets on Wednesday night.
"This is crazy. This can't be true. ... It seemed more like out of a movie than reality."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 12, 2020
—Mark Cuban explains his reaction to hearing that the NBA was suspending its season. pic.twitter.com/MHyrAD4D0f
In recent days, the spread of coronavirus has impacted countless sporting events throughout the world. A number teams and leagues have taken steps to try and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Multiple high-profile tournaments as well as individual games have restricted fan access while others have postponed or cancelled events entirely.
The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Wednesday afternoon that the NBA had considered a number of possible alternatives in light of the compounding COVID-19 virus, including pushing its season back.
The league had reportedly been asking teams to give their arena schedules through the end of July, indicating the possibility of postponing play for at least a month was being explored. Typically, the NBA postseason ends in early June.