Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell becomes second NBA player to test positive for coronavirus
Another Utah Jazz player has tested positive for the coronavirus.
ESPN reported Thursday morning that All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell has tested positive, joining center Rudy Gobert. Gobert tested positive on Wednesday, prompting the NBA to suspend its season indefinitely.
The Jazz confirmed that one additional member of its traveling party tested positive, but did not identify the individual. Per The Athletic, 58 people were tested in all.
“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 organization said in a statement. “We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma and Utah state officials, and the NBA to monitor their health and determine the best path moving forward.”
Mitchell, in a post on his Instagram account, confirmed the positive test later Thursday.
“Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test,” Mitchell wrote. “We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well being of those around them.”
The Jazz were scheduled to play a road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, but the game was called off minutes before tip-off. Soon after, the NBA announced that a Jazz player — later confirmed to be Gobert — tested positive for COVID-19.
Gobert was not in the arena in Oklahoma City prior to the game and his test result was reported shortly before the game was set to begin, the NBA said. Once the positive test was known, players were quarantined to both locker rooms to await medical testing.
The Jazz said in a statement that the affected player “tested negative for influenza, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection” earlier Wednesday. However, he was given a precautionary test for COVID-19 and yielded a positive test.
The news of Gobert’s positive test came after he made light of the virus during a news conference earlier in the week. ESPN is reporting that Jazz players believed Gobert had been careless in the locker room and even touched the belongings of other players, much like he did with microphones and recorders at his Monday press conference.
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
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