Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell began a wave of NBA players testing positive for coronavirus.
Now comes the next – much more welcome welcome – step: NBA players recovering from coronavirus.
Pistons big Christian Wood was the first revealed. Now, Gobert and Mitchell follow.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:
All Utah Jazz players and personnel — including Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — have been cleared by the Utah Department of Health, per team. DOH has determined that no Jazz player/staffer poses a risk of infection to others.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) March 27, 2020
This is great news – and expected. Gobert and Mitchell, like most NBA players, are young and healthy. Mitchell was asymptomatic. There are far graver concerns for other segments of the population as coronavirus spreads.
Thankfully, Gobert and Mitchell got tested quickly, limiting their exposure to other people. They’ve been isolating since being diagnosed. That’s why testing is so important in curbing the spread of coronavirus.
A rift between Mitchell and Gobert still lingers. Mitchell said it took him a while to cool off toward Gobert. Getting cleared will likely be another step toward reconnecting with Gobert, who has publicly apologized for his actions. I suspect time will heal this wound, but it’s difficult to predict how much time.