Rudy, Rudy, Rudy
Jazz big man Rudy Gobert shook up the American sports world when he became the first athlete to test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Gobert had openly mocked the virus beforehand, which made it interesting that he’d be the first to test positive for it, but that’s what happened. As soon as news of his test was made public, the NBA elected to suspend its season, for at least 30 days.
His teammate, Donovan Mitchell, also tested positive for the virus, and he reportedly was not happy with Gobert over it.
In the meantime, Gobert has come out and provided an update on his condition.
An update from Rudy. pic.twitter.com/T2hdmnNlwm
— Stadium (@Stadium) March 15, 2020
“Hey, what’s up everyone? It’s Rudy Gobert. Just wanted to give you guys a little update. I’m going to start by saying thank you to all of the people that have been supportive and for all the positive energy. It really means a lot. As for myself, I’ve been feeling a little better every single day thanks to the healthcare people of Utah and Oklahoma City and all of the great people around me.
As you may already know, I just want to make sure to remind you guys to keep washing your hands frequently with soap and water. Try to avoid touching your face, your nose, your eyes, and, of course, try to avoid making any unnecessary contact with people.
It’s all about protecting yourself and the people around you. I wish I would have took this thing more seriously and I hope everyone else is going to do so, because we can do it together. Take care and stay safe.”
We wish him well in his recovery.
What a Man Looks Like
Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson is likely on track for some massive paydays in the future, which has been cause for some interesting action around Pennsylvania sports betting, but he’s currently playing on his rookie contract, and it’s not like he’s swimming in money yet.
And yet, that still didn’t stop him from coming through with an incredible gesture to help those in need.
Williamson announced that he’d be paying the salaries of all Smoothie King Center staff for the next 30 days, in the wake of the NBA’s suspension for that time period — and possibly even longer — due to COVID-19.
“The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.” Williamson wrote.
It’d be great to see Pelicans owner Gayle Benson do the same.
Best Playoffs Ever
The NBA’s players are currently self-quarantined, with Rudy Gobert having tested positive for COVID-9, as well as teammate Donovan Mitchell.
It’s still unclear if any of the league’s other players were infected, so right now, they’re currently being tested, handled by their respective teams.
At the very minimum, it’ll be at least 30 days until the league resumes play, if not longer. The NBA could even just elect to forego the remainder of the regular season, and skip right to the playoffs. That’d certainly help veteran stars such as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, who have had some wear-and-tear on their bodies over the years, and favor load management.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes certainly agrees, and he shared why it could result in the “best playoffs we’ve ever seen.”
“If there’s any kind of silver lining, and it’s hard to address it now, but if you give these guys a break going into the playoffs and you build the anticipation of the NBA coming back, you’re giving the best players in the world an extra two, three, four weeks off,” Barnes said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “The energy in the playoffs is going to be off the charts. It’s going to be the best playoffs we’ve seen because everyone is fully rested and fully healthy.”
He makes some great points there. Hopefully COVID-19 dies down in the coming weeks, and everything falls back into place.
