In an unprecedented move Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the suspension of the 2019-20 season minutes after it was confirmed that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
Before coming to this decision, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Silver held a meeting with the league's Board of Governors to try and determine how the remainder of the season should unfold. The decision came as NBA leaders discussed the possibility of causing an outbreak of the virus every time tens of thousands of fans were inside each team's arena remained a threat.
In an interview with the NBA on TNT, Silver revealed it wasn't long after his Board of Governors meetings concluded that he was made aware of Gobert's diagnosis while he was heading home. Silver, along with Oklahoma City Thunder and Jazz officials, agreed that "this should not, of course, be a business decision, we should be listening to the public health experts," and postponed the game between the Jazz and Thunder.
At that moment, Silver says he thought back to the many hours worth of conversations that he had earlier in the day and quickly determined that a suspension of the 2019-20 campaign was the right decision. The NBA will now be on hiatus for at least 30 days as the league tries to figure out the appropriate next steps, and Silver admits that canceling the season still isn't out of the question.
