Rudy Gobert Donates $500K To Arena Workers, Coronavirus-Related Services
All-Star Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the first NBA player to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus COVID-19, has donated $500K to various groups impacted by the virus, per a team press release first relayed by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link).
Those groups include the 800-plus part-time employees at the club’s Vivint Smart Home Arena, in addition to coronavirus-related health service relief in Utah, Oklahoma City (where Gobert was diagnosed with the ailment) and social health care services in France, Gobert’s homeland.
“I know there are countless ways that people have been impacted,” Gobert said in the statement released by the Jazz. “These donations are a small token that reflect my appreciation and support for all those impacted and are the first of many steps I will take to try and make a positive difference.”
Per the press release, $200K of the gift will be donated to the part-time employees. Gobert will supply 100,000 Euros to the French health care system. $100K apiece will be allocated to families impacted in Utah and Oklahoma City.
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Canceled
The annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, one of the oldest pre-combine scouting showcases for the best college seniors, officially announced its cancellation because of the developing coronavirus pandemic, per P.I.T. Vice Chairman Mike Morris (Twitter link). The P.I.T. has been operating since 1953.
The P.I.T. was scheduled to run from April 15-18, 2020 at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium was the first to report the news (Twitter link).
College seniors to have benefited from the P.I.T. include Scottie Pippen (drafted with the No. 5 pick in 1987), Dennis Rodman (the No. 26 pick in 1986), Jimmy Butler (the No. 30 pick in 2011), John Stockton (the No. 16 pick in 1984), Tim Hardaway (the No. 14 pick in 1989), Ben Wallace (who went undrafted in 1996), Rick Barry (the No. 2 pick in 1965), Dave Cowens (the No. 4 pick in 1970) and Earl Monroe (the No. 2 pick in 1967).
Raptors Travel Party Tests Negative
MARCH 14: The Raptors have updated their announcement, indicating that the final test of their travel party has also come back negative for COVID-19, per The Athletic’s Blake Murphy (Twitter link).
MARCH 13: The Raptors announced that all members of their travel party have tested negative for the coronavirus with one test still pending, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
There was extra concern regarding Toronto’s players and staff since the Raptors faced the Jazz on Monday. Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive two nights later prior to the team’s game at Oklahoma City, prompting the league to suspend its season.
Among the players who tested negative was Serge Ibaka, who defended Gobert a good portion of the game, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
More Teams To Ensure Arena Workers Are Paid During Hiatus
With the NBA indefinitely suspended, several high-profile players have pledged money toward team employees who are not able to work. Thus far, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and Zion Williamson have been at the forefront.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was the first to publicly state that employees would be taken care of during the uncertain period and many more teams have stepped forward since then. Per Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register, the Lakers, Clippers and NHL’s Los Angeles Kings are set to announce a partnership that will compensate part-time and contract workers at Staples Center.
As Goon notes, venue ushers and security personnel are expected to be among those compensated during the suspension of play. Additionally, other employees have been asked to work remotely if at all possible, Goon adds.
In addition to the L.A. teams, Grizzlies owner Robert Pera will compensate all part-time employees that work game nights for any games missed through March and into April if necessary, Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
This rounds out recent reports that include the Pistons, Wizards, Kings, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Mavericks, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Nets as teams having pledged to pay their employees.
As we relayed earlier this week, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has stated that the suspension is expected to last at least 30 days.
Mavs’ Jalen Brunson Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Mavericks point guard Jalen Brunson has undergone surgery to address the labrum injury in his right shoulder, the team announced today in a press release. No timetable has been set for Brunson’s recovery.
Brunson has been sidelined since February 22 due to his right shoulder injury. A report in late February indicated that the Mavs were concerned the second-year guard had suffered a torn labrum. That report suggested Brunson may attempt to return and play through the pain before undergoing surgery in the offseason.
With the NBA’s season now on hiatus, Brunson and the Mavs took the opportunity to address his shoulder issue immediately — it’s not clear if that would have happened if not for the stoppage. Although his recovery timeline isn’t known, Brunson may now have a chance to recover before season’s end, depending on if and when the league resumes play.
Brunson, 23, has been an important rotation piece for Dallas this season, starting 16 of his 57 games. He has averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 2.4 RPG on .466/.358/.813 shooting in 17.9 minutes per contest.
NBA, NBPA Plan On Moratorium For Roster Moves, Contracts
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association plan to enter an agreement on a moratorium period while the NBA season is suspended, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Similar to the July moratorium, this period would freeze moves such as free agent signings and trades (not that trades would be permitted anyway at this time of year). As Charania explains, it would also prohibit action on player and team options, and would freeze 10-day contracts.
According to Charania (via Twitter), the preliminary timeline for the moratorium period is expected to be March 12 through April 10. That timeline would be reassessed as April 10 approaches.
Postponing the actual scheduled games only represents part of the logistical challenge facing the NBA during its hiatus. There are a number of contract- and CBA-related questions that must be answered in the coming days and weeks, especially if the league ultimately intends to push the 2019/20 league year beyond June 30.
John Hollinger of The Athletic discussed a handful of these questions in a Thursday article, pointing to 10-day contracts, incentive bonuses, option and salary guarantee deadlines, and contracts that expire on July 1 (for both players and coaches) as issues that must be addressed. As Bobby Marks of ESPN and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report note (via Twitter), the NBA and NBPA would have to come to an agreement on what changes will be made if the end of the season is pushed into July or August.
Hollinger, Marks, and others have also pointed out that the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement includes “force majeure” language in the event that games are canceled for reasons outside of the NBA’s control, such as an epidemic. Theoretically, the league and its owners could trigger that provision and could aim to recoup 1/92.6th of players’ salaries for each lost regular season game.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes that players have been made aware of that force majeure clause, but there have been no discussions between the league and the union so far about the provision, since there’s still a belief the season can just be postponed rather than canceled. According to Charania, players will receive their next check in full on March 15.
NBA Prepares For Layoff Of At Least 30 Days
7:32pm: Silver confirmed that the duration of the league’s postponement “will be most likely at least 30 days,” according to an interview during Inside The NBA on TNT. When asked if it was possible that the NBA regular season would not resume at all, Silver noted, “Of course it’s possible. I just don’t know more at this point.”
4:00pm: Although the NBA has yet make a formal announcement on an initial timetable for its hiatus, team owners are encouraging commissioner Adam Silver to re-evaluate the situation after 30 days, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who says the league is expected to provide an official update soon.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) also hears that the NBA will shut down for 30 days before the suspension is re-assessed. Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star (Twitter links) was the first to report that preliminary 30-day timeline, stressing that it’s a “minimum” and that the timetable may end up being largely out of the NBA’s control.
A layoff of at least 30 days doesn’t come as a surprise. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban speculated earlier today that it may take at least 60 days for the virus to run its course and for the NBA to consider resuming the 2019/20 season. The Chinese Basketball Association, which suspended its season in late January, is aiming for an early-April return, which would mean a hiatus of over two months.
In the short term, a handful of NBA teams – particularly those who have been in recent contact with affected Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell – are self-isolating in order to minimize risk.
In addition to the teams we discussed in that earlier story, the Nuggets and Sixers are among the clubs whose players are being advised to temporarily self-quarantine, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post and Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), respectively. The 76ers are organizing testing for players and some staffers, while the Nuggets have tests available if needed, according to those reports.
Goodwill reports (via Twitter) that some team owners on today’s conference call suggested that every NBA player should be tested for COVID-19 during the suspension. Given how challenging it has been for the average American with symptoms to get tested for the virus, it’s unclear how realistic it is to expect tests right now for hundreds of NBA players without symptoms.
NBA Recommends Players Self-Quarantine Through March 16
Now that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has ground NBA play to an indefinite halt, the NBA has recommended that all players self-quarantine through at least next Monday, March 16, per Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link).
The league wants players to remain in their home markets (and actual homes) as long as they are able, and refrain from holding group workouts, meetings, or practices until then.
Team physicians and trainers have been advised to consult with their players regarding their health at least once per day, Stein adds in a supplemental tweet.
The fact that the NBA wants players to remain in their teams’ cities and in close contact with team medical staffs could indicate that the league is optimistic for the resumption of regular season play at some juncture, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer posits (Twitter link).
NCAA Cancels 2020 Basketball Tournaments
The NCAA has officially canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, NCAA president Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors said today in a statement.
A Wednesday announcement had suggested the NCAA planned to move forward with the tournaments without fans in attendance. However, in the 24 hours since Wednesday’s press release was issued, the NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS have all postponed their seasons, and virtually every Division I conference canceled their own tournaments, prompting the NCAA to reconsider its stance.
“This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities,” the NCAA said in its statement.
All remaining winter and spring NCAA championships will be canceled as well, according to the press release. The wording in the statement – including “cancel” rather than “postpone” – indicates that the NCAA won’t be leaving the door open to March Madness being pushed back and becoming April Madness or May Madness.
The decision also means that NCAA prospects who intend to become part of the 2020 draft class have played their last college games. It remains unclear how many opportunities NBA teams will get to scout those players this spring, with events like the Nike Hoop Summit, the Portsmouth Invitational, and the Draft Combine all up in the air as well.
Rudy Gobert Apologizes To “People I May Have Endangered”
Rudy Gobert, who became the first NBA player to test positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, has published an Instagram post confirming the diagnosis.
Within the post, Gobert apologized for his carelessness in potentially endangering those around him. The All-Star Jazz center mockingly touched all the microphones and recorders in front of him following a Monday media session. According to a report from ESPN, Jazz players were also privately saying that Gobert exhibited “a cavalier attitude toward the virus in the locker room, touching teammates and their belongings.”
“I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis,” Gobert wrote. “Mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse.
“I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously,” he continued. “I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus.”
Sources told Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic that Gobert has been around people who recently traveled to the U.S. from France, but there’s “no clear determination” on how or when he contracted COVID-19. His teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for the virus, as we detailed earlier today.