NBA Players React to Season Being Postponed Due to Coronavirus

The NBA announced that all games will be suspended until further notice Wednesday night after Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert preliminarily tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Players around the league reacted online immediately.

Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier relayed that he had spoken by phone to Gobert:

Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker, who heard the news while live on Twitch, responded with organic shock (NSFW language):

Ja Morant, CJ McCollum, Isaiah Thomas, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine were among the players who tweeted their reactions:

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban provided his thoughts on the suspension while at his team's game against the Denver Nuggets:

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski had reported earlier Wednesday that the league was considering moving forward without fans attending games, and a decision was expected to be made by Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday.

The Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were moments away from tipping off at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday evening when players were urged to return to their locker rooms. The game was ultimately postponed:

The Jazz released a statement, though they did not identify Gobert specifically:

ESPN's Royce Young, who was present at the arena, also provided more details:

COVID-19 has infected more than 115,800 people worldwide, according to CNN's latest numbers, including 1,000 in the United States. It has killed over 4,200 people.

The outbreak has affected the sports landscape across the globe, but the NBA is the first league in the United States to suspend action.