A second player from the NBA’s Utah Jazz has tested positive for the coronavirus, ESPN reports, further fueling fear that Americans are experiencing the tip of the iceberg of this pandemic.
On Thursday, March 12, Donavan Mitchell was identified as the second player from the Jazz to come down with coronavirus. That news comes less than 24 hours after teammate Rudy Gobert became the first player to be identified as having contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 11.
The Jazz confirmed Mitchell’s diagnosis in a statement obtained by CBS News:
“As a follow-up to yesterday’s positive COVID-19 test, Oklahoma health officials tested all members of the Utah Jazz traveling party, confirming one additional positive outcome for a Jazz player. We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma and Utah state officials, and the NBA to monitor their health and determine the best path moving forward.”
Because of Gobert’s diagnosis, the NBA quickly terminated Wednesday evening’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder before it started and then ordered the immediate evacuation of fans from the arena in OKC. Not long afterward, the NBA announced the “suspension” of the rest of the season indefinitely.
ESPN reporters stated that, privately, some of Gobert’s teammates are angry with him. Gobert also reportedly touched some of his teammates’ personal items on purpose prior to the revelation that he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Other sports organizations are either suspending or canceling their seasons or tournaments, or both, including Major League Soccer, NCAA men’s and women’s basketball, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the World Tennis Association.
