NBA suspends season in wake of COVID-19 pandemic

The NBA has suspended games in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, as confirmed by several NBA sources.

It was reported as recently as Wednesday night that the NBA’s Board of Governors would move to have game without fans, with commissioner Adam Silver giving his final say on Thursday.

The NBA was seemingly forced to make a decision the same night after the Chesapeake Arena Center in OKC was hastily evacuated after it was reported an Oklahoma City Thunder medical staffer ran onto the court to speak to officials. The game was postponed with fans exiting the arena, and with Thunder and Utah Jazz players moved to their locker rooms where they were then quarantined.

The NBA’s first official case of COVID-19 came to light when it later was reported that Jazz Center Rudy Gobert had contracted the virus. In response, the NBA indefinitely suspended the season.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA will use this time to decide the what the league will do next.

The league has released an official statement on the suspension of the season.