SALT LAKE CITY — As the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder became in some respects the center of the coronavirus pandemic on the night of March 11 when Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, the two teams’ training staffs played a key role in handling the immediate response as the entire Jazz traveling party was tested for COVID-19 and then had to return to Salt Lake City.
For their efforts on a night that saw an incredible amount of uncertainty, the two staffs on Thursday were named co-recipients of the 2019-20 Joe O’Toole/David Craig Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award, which is nominated and voted on by all members of the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association.