Sport

NBA suspends season after player tests positive for coronavirus

League says hiatus will allow it time to ‘determine next steps’ in response to pandemic

Fans leave Chesapeake Energy Arena after an announcement that the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz game had been canceled just before the tip off. Photograph: Alonzo Adams/Reuters.

Thu Mar 12 2020 - 03:10

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is to suspend the remainder of its season after a Utah Jazz player was found to have tested positive for the coronavirus, it was announced on Wednesday.

The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of a game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The league said the affected player was not in the arena.

“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said.

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“The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the situation was “crazy”.

“This can’t be true,” he told ESPN as his team played the Denver Nuggets.

“This is not in the realm of possibilities. This seems more like out of a movie than reality.”

The pandemic rocked the North American sports calendar on Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of the figure skating world championships and the announcement that college basketball’s annual ‘March Madness’ tournament would take place without fans in attendance.

In Oklahoma City, the game was seconds away from starting when the Thunder’s head medical staffer sprinted onto the court to talk to referees. Players from both teams then left for their locker rooms. After about a 20-minute delay, the arena’s public-address announcer informed the crowd that the game had been postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

He urged calm as fans headed toward the exits. Many of them booed. - Agencies

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