NBA's Mike Bass Hopes Players Making Coronavirus Results Public Raises Awareness

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass hopes the number of NBA players who have tested positive for the coronavirus will help spread awareness about the pandemic.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne shared his statement:

"Public health authorities and team doctors have been concerned that, given NBA players' direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, in addition to their frequent travel, they could accelerate the spread of the virus. Following two players testing positive last week, others were tested and five additional players tested positive. Hopefully, by these players choosing to make their test results public, they have drawn attention to the critical need for young people to follow CDC recommendations in order to protect others, particularly those with underlying health conditions and the elderly."

According to Madeline Holcombe and Dakin Andone of CNN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested any gathering featuring more than 50 people be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks as a way of slowing the coronavirus' spread.

As of Tuesday, the World Health Organization confirmed more than 184,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus, which has led to more than 7,500 deaths.

Multiple NBA players have tested positive for the coronavirus, including Utah Jazz teammates Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

The league ultimately decided to suspend its current season after Gobert tested positive, a move that preceded the suspension of the NHL and MLS seasons, the cancellation of the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments and the postponement of the Masters, among a number of other developments in the sports world.

On Tuesday, Kevin Durant told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium he tested positive.

"Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine," Durant said. "We're going to get through this."

Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press reported Durant was one of four members of the Brooklyn Nets who tested positive.