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All-star guard Donovan Mitchell, who grew up in Westchester, attended prep school in Fairfield County and now plays for the Utah Jazz, has become the second player on his team to test positive for COVID-19.
The confirmation of Mitchell’s positive test on Thursday, March 12 came hours after teammate Rudy Gobert first mocked the virus, and then became the initial NBA player to have a confirmed case of coronavirus.
Gobert was reportedly "careless" in the locker room as he touched teammates and belongings. No other members of the Jazz reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, all others came back negative.
The positive tests led to a suspension of the entire NBA season, and has impacted other major sports including the NCAA, MLS, and NASCAR. All major sporting events have also been canceled in some European countries, and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo are in question.
On Thursday, nearly all major college basketball conference championship tournaments -- including the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City and Atlantic 10 Tournament at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- were canceled.
“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," the Jazz said in a statement. “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.”
Players the Jazz have faced within the past 10 days are being told to self-quarantine, according to ESPN. In those 10 days, Utah has played the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors.
"The NBA will use this hiatus to determine the next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic," the league said in a statement. More information is expected to be released by officials on Thursday during a call with the Board of Governors.
Globally, as of Thursday, March 12, there have been 129,589 confirmed coronavirus cases that resulted in 4,749 deaths. In the United States, there have been 1,364 confirmed cases that resulted in 38 deaths.
Mitchell grew up in Elmsford and played at the Canterbury School in New Milford for his first two years of high school, after graduating from Greenwich Country Day School. He played his junior and senior years at the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.
He later went on to star at the University of Louisville and was drafted by the Jazz 13th overall in 2017, where he has blossomed into an all-star.
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