The NBA Suspends Play
The Lead
Audible
3.7 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2020
⏱️ 20 minutes
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Summary
The NBA has suspended all games until further notice after Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. We recap how one of the most historic days in sports history unfolded at breakneck speed, and are joined by The Athletic's Joe Vardon to discuss how the NBA abruptly changed its position after Gobert tested positive and what comes next for the league and its players.
(Note: Gobert's teammate Donovan Mitchell has reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus as well. It's unclear at this time who the NBA's "patient zero" actually is.)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Yesterday, the coronavirus was given a new designation. |
| 0:10.6 | The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. |
| 0:14.9 | The agency says it's deeply concerned by the spread and severity of the illness and by |
| 0:19.8 | the alarming levels of inaction. |
| 0:22.4 | And last night, the sporting world got turned upside down. |
| 0:26.7 | The world as we know it here in the NBA has officially changed right now. |
| 0:29.9 | It frankly feels like it's deteriorating right before our eyes across the country. |
| 0:33.9 | After an NBA player tested positive for coronavirus, the league announced that the season was suspended |
| 0:39.6 | until further notice. |
| 0:41.1 | This is crazy, just can't believe it. |
| 0:42.7 | I mean, it's not within the realm of possibilities. |
| 0:45.4 | It's just to seem more like out of a movie than reality. |
| 0:48.4 | Today, how things unfolded at an incredible speed and what all of this means for the NBA |
| 0:55.1 | and beyond. |
| 1:00.9 | From Wondery and the Athletic, I'm Anders Keltow. |
| 1:04.9 | And I'm Kavita Davidson. |
| 1:06.7 | It's Thursday, March 12th, and this is the lead. |
| 1:09.7 | It felt like something great was happening. |
| 1:14.7 | There was just something about the emotion and the moment you know the first one, first one. |
| 1:19.7 | The first and the past don't matter because we've got this now. |
| 1:22.7 | You can't pay. |
| 1:23.7 | I've never seen anything like that. |
... |
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