The NBA announced the suspension of the current sports season until further notice, after it showed preliminary results of the analysis of a player for the Utah Jazz team with the Corona virus.
The association said - in a statement - that it had canceled a match that would have brought the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz teams, after the result of the analysis showed that the player was injured shortly before the match started.
"The NBA will stop after the closing schedule for tonight until further notice," the association added, adding that it will take advantage of this stop "to determine the next steps forward in relation to the Coruna virus epidemic."
Press reports indicated that the Frenchman, Rudi Joubert, was infected with Corona.
"The sample of one of the Utah Jazz players was negative for flu, sore throat, and respiratory infection," Jazz said in a statement on his official website. "The symptoms receded throughout the day, but in a preventive measure and in consultation and cooperation with the NBA medical and Oklahoma health officials we decided to undergo a virus detection." Covid-19 ".
Joubert was not present in the squad announced by Jazz to play the match. The French player participated in the last game against Toronto Raptors on Monday.
Jazz played against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, then the Raptors in the last ten days.
"ESPN" quoted some sources as saying that the league had asked these teams to impose individual quarantine on the players.
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said the situation was "insane".
"It can't be true. This is not in the realm of possibilities. It looks like he's in a movie about him in reality."
The knockout rounds were due to start on April 18 and the final to begin on June 4.
After the League League statement, the Ice Hockey League said it was consulting medical experts and would provide more details on Thursday.
In a tweet on Twitter, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said, "Sports events are canceled, study is suspended, as well as office work and other aspects ... It is really necessary to cancel in 2020 ... It was three difficult months ... May God have mercy on us and protect us."