Social media said it was chilling to watch NBA star Rudy Gobert playfully touching reporters equipment less than 48 hours before testing positive for the coronavirus.
Gobert, 27, a French-born player whose full name is Rudy Gobert-Bourgarel, set off a monumental and irreversible chain of events as the NBA took the unprecedented move to “suspend” the season indefinitely.
The Utah Jazz star tested positive on Wednesday, March 11 after the NBA had already implement multiple precautionary measures to avoid contracting COVID-19. This included having reporters stand back 10-15 feet from players during interviews.
However, prior to the Jazz game against the Toronto Raptors on March 9, Gobert did something that may have put other people in harm’s way.
Because the sports reporters were required to stand a certain distance from players during interviews now, most of them placed their microphones and tape reporters together in front of Gobert. After Rudy finished speaking to the press, he got up and then leaned down to purposely touch every mic and recorder with his hands.
Less than two days later, Gobert is the first confirmed NBA player to have tested positive for COVID-19.
Watch below as Gobert jokingly touches all of the microphones before walking out of the interview room with a smirk on his face.
Wowww https://t.co/tlaKUXc3se
— @IAMSAFAREE (@IAMSAFAREE) March 12, 2020
He played in that game against the Raptors, and his positive test result came just before the start of the Jazz’ March 11 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This caused the OKC game to be canceled just before tip-off. Fans in attendance were ordered to evacuate the Chesapeake Energy Arena “in an orderly fashion.”
Because of his imprudent and unsanitary actions of touching the reporters microphones as a joke, Gobert is being chastised on Twitter. And this presents yet another dilemma in addition to the other issues facing the NBA: Should the reporters whose microphones that Gobert touched get tested for the coronavirus? And does this leave the NBA vulnerable to potential legal liability?
“What if I told you that one touch could bring a whole league to a standstill? ESPN 30 for 30 presents ‘The French Suspension,'” one person wrote on Twitter. “I’m a jazz fan and a Rudy Gobert fan, I can’t defend this s—. What was he thinking, man?”
A third Twitter user wrote: “Rudy Gobert is a real defensive player of the year. Shut the whole league down.”
Here is a sampling of even more responses:
Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz thought the NBA precautions were a joke — so he touched everything in the room.
He tested positive for coronavirus today & now the whole NBA is shut down. 😫
https://t.co/Gdcw3WZYjj— An0maly (@LegendaryEnergy) March 12, 2020
Just in case you don’t believe in karma
— Terry Dresbach (@draiochta14) March 12, 2020
Rudy Gobert got the Karmavirus.
— Sad. (@statsDude) March 12, 2020
I hope they fine him for that move. Jesus.
— Pamela in CA (@pamica) March 12, 2020
I work with dudes that keep doing sh** like this. They think it's funny. I have a child at home that's high risk.
— Badger of the Alpaca Lips (@AmericasBadger) March 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/Awnawhellno/status/1237921367690862592
