NBA suspended with dose of irony

'Hiatus'

Announcing the shutdown, a league statement on Wednesday read: "The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice.

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

The positive test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for Utah's game at Oklahoma City on Wednesday night was called off.

Players were on the floor and tipoff was moments away when they were told to return to their locker rooms. About 30 minutes later, fans were told the game was postponed "due to unforeseen circumstances".

Those circumstances were the league's worst-case scenario for now-a player testing positive. A second person who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity said the league expects the shutdown to last a minimum of two weeks, but cautioned that time-frame is very fluid.

"It's a very serious time right now," Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said."I think the league moved appropriately and prudently and we'll all just have to monitor the situation and see where it goes from here."

The Jazz released a statement saying a player-they did not identify Gobert-tested negative earlier on Wednesday for flu, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. That player's symptoms diminished as the day went along, but the decision was made to test for COVID-19 anyway. That test came back with a preliminary positive result.

"The individual is currently in the care of health officials in Oklahoma City," the Jazz said, adding that updates would come as appropriate.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the WHO, which declared a pandemic on Wednesday, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In the Chinese mainland, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

It has been a worldwide issue for several weeks. And now, it has hit the NBA.

"This is crazy," Cleveland forward Tristan Thompson said on Twitter.

Charlotte Hornets coach James Borrego, speaking before his team's game at Miami, said "these are scary times".

Rapidly evolving times, as well. Around 7 pm, a source told AP that owners-who met by teleconference on Wednesday-were largely in support of a plan to play games in empty arenas on a short-term basis.

About an hour later, the Thunder-Jazz game was halted before tip-off. And about 90 minutes after that, the season was called off.

There are 259 games, roughly 21 percent of the schedule, left to play this season-and no one knows if, or when, things will resume.

"We believe in the leadership of the league," Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand said.

The shutdown is the latest major development in a season filled with hard challenges. The league lost as much as $400 million in revenue after a rift with China was started in October when Houston general manager Daryl Morey tweeted out support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Former NBA commissioner David Stern died in January, the same month that Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash.

And now a pandemic that could prove very costly indeed, depending on how long the shutdown lasts.

Ap Via Xinhua