All major sports seasons in the US have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, including the NBA, the NHL, and MLS.
All major sports in the US, including the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS), have been suspended amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA decided to suspend the 2019-2020 season starting Thursday until further notice after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive of the virus. His teammate, guard Donovan Mitchell, was later found to have been infected too.
The NBA announcement was made prior the to the start of the game between the Jazz and the Oklahoma Thunder. Gobert was not at the game when the announcement was made.
Earlier this week, the Frenchman jokingly touched reporters' microphones and dictaphones at a pre-match news conference. He has since issued an apology for potentially exposing others to the virus.
In an Instagram post, Gobert said: "I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis, 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 explained.
The NHL and MLS followed suit, with MLS suspending games for 30 days. Major League Baseball (MLB) is yet to start its season but it has been moved by two weeks due to the health emergency.
The other remaining major sports league in the country, the National Football League (NFL), is currently in its off-season but its 2020 Draft in Las Vegas is scheduled to start on April 23.
Meanwhile, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing body of US college sport, announced the cancellation of the Division I men's and women's tournaments in addition to the remaining winter and spring NCAA tournaments.
