Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell Becomes 2nd NBA Player To Test Positive For Coronavirus

Utah Jazz Player Donovan Mitchell Becomes Second NBA Player To Test Positive For Coronavirus

Less than 24 hours after the Utah Jazz All-Star center Rudy Gobert was confirmed to be positive for the coronavirus, Jazz teammate, Donovan Mitchell has also tested positive, according to multiple reports.

The Jazz released their statement Thursday (March 12th), confirming that one additional person has tested positive for COVID-19. The Jazz statement reads,

“As a follow-up to yesterday’s positive COVID-19 test, Oklahoma health officials tested all members of the Utah Jazz traveling party, confirming one additional positive outcome for a Jazz player. We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma and Utah state officials, and the NBA to monitor their health and determine the best path moving forward.”

Mitchell, who was not experiencing symptoms on Wednesday according to Stephen A. Smith, opened up about the diagnosis with a Thursday Instagram post.

“We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well being of those around them. I appreciate the authorities in Oklahoma who were helpful with the testing process and everyone from the Utah Jazz who have been so supportive.”

He ends his message with an optimistic outlook into recovery,

 “I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help.”

As previously reported, after the scary news of Jazz center Gobert testing positive, the league took action and confirmed they have suspended the entire 2019 – 2020 season. The statement reads:

“The NBA announced that a player on the Utah Jazz has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. The test result was reported shortly prior to the tip-off of tonight’s game between the Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. At that time, tonight’s game was canceled. The affected player was not in the arena. The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Per CNN, the coronavirus has been classified as a pandemic, with more than 124,500 confirmed cases worldwide and over 4,600 deaths.

The United States has 1,200 confirmed cases thus far. See here for the latest.

What are your thoughts on the second NBA player testing positive for coronavirus? Let us know in the comments!