Late Wednesday, the NBA suspended its current season of play amid the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to wreak havoc with over 1,000 confirmed cases and 37 deaths in the U.S.
The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump issued a 30-day travel ban from Europe on national TV.
“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league statement read. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, players for the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder were under quarantine in Oklahoma City after Rudy Gobert, a player for the Jazz, tested positive for the coronavirus.
The NBA acknowledged the Jazz-Thunder news without mentioning Gobert by name.
“The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena,” the league announced. “At that time, tonight’s game was canceled. The affected player was not in the arena.”
Earlier, the N.C.A.A. announced that fans would not be present for the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, limiting game attendance to team personnel and officials only.
Popular on Variety: