The NBA season has officially been suspended due to the COVID-19 virus. Effectively putting the Detroit Pistons season on hiatus.
Following the Detroit Pistons match up against the Sixers, last night it was first announced by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the NBA would be putting its season on hold due to a player testing positive for the Coronavirus.
Prior to the start of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s game against the Utah Jazz, officials were informed that Rudy Gobert had tested positively with the virus.
Players and media were put into quarantine in their respective locker rooms and subsequent testing was preformed. Through this, it was also made aware that Donovan Mitchell had contracted the virus as well.
Before we learned about Mitchell, the league took the measure of postponing the NBA’s season for the foreseeable future. While the plan was to allow the remaining games on the schedule for last night to play out, the Kings and Pelicans game was also suspended.
This happened after officials noticed that Courtney Kirkland was officiating the game, who had called a Utah Jazz game just two nights prior.
The NBA announced that all opponents who have played the Jazz within the last ten days are being asked to self-quarantine. This includes the Pistons, who played Utah just five days ago.
With now two players from the team who are confirmed to have the virus, all safety precautions must be taken.
The league is scheduled to have a conference call today with all of it’s owners and top officials to determine how to proceed with the conclusion of the season, if one is to be had.
This could range from playing games without fans in attendance, (which is happening the NCAA for the March Madness tournament) potentially pushing the season back a few months and playing into late August, or possibly canceling the season all together.
The NBA is referring to this as a hiatus, not a cancellation, so while we can’t assume anything right now, optimism reigns among the fans that basketball will soon resume.