【1988 Archives】

988 ArchivesNBA announced Wednesday that it has indefinitely halted the 2019-2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice," said the organization in a statement. "The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."

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The decision came after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in the delay and then cancelation of Wednesday's game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder just "seconds" before tip-off.

The organization did not name the player but said he "was not in the arena." Later reports revealed him to be Rudy Gobert. His teammate Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive for the virus.

Previously, the league was reported to have been considering playing the season's games without fans in attendance. The Golden State Warriors had already planned to play Thursday's home game against the Brooklyn Nets in an empty arena, due to San Francisco's ban on public events attended by 1,000 or more people.

Other major sports organizations are following suit. On Thursday, Major League Soccer announced that the 2020 season has been suspended for 30 days "as the league continues to assess the impact of COVID-19."

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Also on Thursday, the NHL said that the 2019-2020 season would be paused following that day's games. The NHL and the NBA share many of their facilities, as pointed out in the statement from the NHL.

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Following the NBA, MLS, and the NHL, Major League Baseball has confirmed it will delay the 2020 season by two weeks or more, starting 4 p.m. ET Thursday.

"MLB will announce the effects ojn the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible," the organization said.

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In addition, the NCAA has pulled the plug on all upcoming Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, including March Madness.

Said the organization: "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."

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The XFL is also pausing their season, as confirmed in a statement.

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UPDATE: March 12, 2020, 1:53 p.m. PDT Story has been updated with statements from MLS and NHL, and additional information about the affected NBA players.

UPDATE: March 12, 2020, 3:16 p.m. PDT Story has been updated with statement from MLB.

UPDATE: March 12, 2020, 4:38 p.m. PDT Story has been updated with statement from NCAA.

UPDATE: March 12, 2020, 7:25 p.m. PDT Story has been updated with statement from XFL.