Thank you, Rudy Gobert.
Before his positive test was confirmed Wednesday night, how many took the coronavirus threat seriously? The NBA took precautions, dispensing hygiene memos and instructing teams to limit the size of their traveling parties, but would that really have been adequate to stop a potential pandemic?
It took a positive test, a dramatic sprint from an Oklahoma City trainer prior to tipoff of the Jazz-Thunder game, and an immediate response from NBA commissioner Adam Silver to bring the league to a halt. It wasn’t long before the NHL, MLB, MLS and NCAA followed suit.