Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz confirmed Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, saying that he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues.Later, his Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert — the first NBA player to test positive, which prompted the league to suspend the season — also confirmed his status and apologized. “I was careless and make no excuse," Gobert said in an Instagram post.Mitchell's positive test was not known until early Thursday, the first full day of the NBA's hiatus. Jazz players, staff and some beat writers covering the team were tested Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, where Utah was to play the Thunder in a game that was called off moments before tipoff once word about Gobert's positive test was received.Also Thursday, the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors — teams that have all recently played against Gobert, Mitchell and the Jazz — all said that they... [More]

Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz confirmed Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, publicly saying that he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues.Later, his Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert — the first NBA player to test positive, which prompted the league to suspend the season — also confirmed his status and apologized. “I was careless and make no excuse," Gobert said in an Instagram post.Mitchell's positive test was not known until early Thursday, the first full day of the NBA's hiatus. Jazz players, staff and some beat writers covering the team were tested Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, where Utah was to play the Thunder in a game that was called off moments before tip-off once word about Gobert's positive test was received.Also Thursday, the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors — teams that have all recently played against Gobert, Mitchell and the Jazz — all said... [More]

Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz confirmed Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, publicly saying that he is personally dealing with the pandemic that has temporarily shut down the NBA and other major sports leagues.Mitchell is one of two NBA players to have tested positive: The other is his Jazz teammate Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive but has not publicly confirmed his diagnosis. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday night that the 7-foot-1 Frenchman had tested positive. Gobert's test result was the one that prompted the NBA to indefinitely suspend the season.Mitchell's positive test was not known until early Thursday, the first full day of the NBA's hiatus. Jazz players, staff and some beat writers covering the team were tested Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, where Utah was to play the Thunder in a game that was called off moments before tip-off once word about Gobert's positive test was received.Also... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — AP source: Second NBA player from Utah Jazz -- Donovan Mitchell -- tests positive for coronavirus.

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now — not with two Jazz players now having tested positive for the virus, and with a league on edge.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. And a second person with knowledge told AP on Thursday that Gobert's Utah teammate, Donovan Mitchell, tested positive as well.“As a follow-up to yesterday’s positive COVID-19 test, Oklahoma health officials tested all members of the Utah Jazz traveling party, confirming one additional positive outcome for a Jazz player," the Jazz said in a statement Thursday. “We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the league has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland. And Washington, which played Utah in late February, said Thursday that it was having its players, coaches and basketball operations personnel self-quarantine for the next... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the league has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland. And Washington, which played Utah in late February, said Thursday that it was having its players, coaches and basketball operations personnel self-quarantine for the next... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the league has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland.— Gobert shared the court with 50 opposing players in those games, plus 15 referees.— One of the refs was Courtney Kirkland, who was to work th e New Orleans-Sacramento game... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the league has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland.— Gobert shared the court with 50 opposing players in those games, plus 15 referees.— One of the refs was Courtney Kirkland, who was to work th e New Orleans-Sacramento game... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the l eague has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland.— Gobert shared the court with 50 opposing players in those games, plus 15 referees.— One of the refs was Courtney Kirkland, who was to work th e New Orleans-Sacramento game... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Vince Carter leaned back in his seat, dabbed his eyes and struggled to contain his emotions.He knew his playing days were coming to an end.Yet, after almost 22 seasons in the NBA, longer than anyone else has ever played the game at its highest level, this still seemed too quick, too sudden.He kept going back to one word Wednesday night.“Weird.”Carter, closing out his brilliant career with the struggling Atlanta Hawks, was a minor piece to the puzzle on an evening of fast-moving developments that brought the fear and misery of the coronavirus to the doorstep of the game he plays.It started with the NCAA making the shocking decision to play its signature men's basketball tournament — March Madness and the Final Four — in empty arenas around the land. There are certainly doubts that it will actually be played all.Then, after word came down that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had fallen ill, the NBA called a halt to its season at the conclusion of Wednesday night's games, with... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

It started as a joke: Before leaving a post-practice interview session Rudy Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Utah Jazz were using during an availability with him on Monday before a game with the Detroit Pistons.It isn’t so funny now.Gobert is now the NBA’s Patient Zero for coronavirus after becoming the first player in the league to test positive, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is at the center of why the l eague has been shut down for the foreseeable future:— Utah's game against Oklahoma City Wednesday night was canceled and the Pistons are among five teams that have played the Jazz — and Gobert — since the start of March, the others being Boston, Toronto, New York and Cleveland.— Gobert shared the court with 50 opposing players in those games, plus 15 referees.— One of the refs was Courtney Kirkland, who was to work th e New Orleans-Sacramento game... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, like his players, heard about the NBA's decision to suspend the season while in the third quarter of their game against the Denver Nuggets. That ended up being the last game completed in the league Wednesday night, and the Mavericks avoided their first three-game losing streak before the NBA season's suspension “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. “Very concerned, but it’s not necessarily about basketball. Obviously this is much bigger than basketball,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.“This is because of just the league being concerned about the health of fans, players and arena personnel," Carlisle said. “There’s going to be more meetings and more talk tomorrow about what the next steps are. There’s no timetable.” Boban Marjanovic had 31 points and 17 rebounds, Luka Doncic scored 28 points and the Mavericks won 113-97, which was secondary considering the entire situation. Nuggets forward... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday night was called... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA has suspended its season “until further notice" after a Utah Jazz player tested positive Wednesday for the coronavirus, a move that came only hours after the majority of the league's owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas.Now there will be no games at all, at least for the time being. A person with knowledge of the situation said the Jazz player who tested positive was center Rudy Gobert. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the team confirmed the presumptive positive test.“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said in a statement sent shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”The test result, the NBA said, was reported shortly before the scheduled tip-off time for the Utah at Oklahoma City game on Wednesday... [More]