NBA Postpones Season

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

In a shocking and unprecedented move, the National Basketball Association has suspended play indefinitely after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus, the league announced Wednesday night.

The league made the announcement after postponing the Utah Jazz-Oklahoma City Thunder game once it was learned that Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN.

The league also postponed its 10:30 p.m. (ET) New Orleans Pelicans-Sacramento Kings game, which was supposed to air on ESPN. The suspension of live NBA games will create a major scheduling hole for league TV rights holders ESPN and TNT.

[embed]https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1237917361979699200[/embed]

The stunning announcement comes hours after the NCAA announced that its "March Madness" college basketball tournament will be played without fans in the stands. Several college conferences had already canceled conference tournaments or opted to play the games without spectators.

RELATED: NCAA 'March Madness' Tournament to Take Place Without Live Audience 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.