Rudy Gobert And Donovan Mitchell Were Both Cleared After Their COVID-19 Scares

The man who received the NBA’s first positive COVID-19 test and his teammate have both recovered from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The Utah Jazz announced Friday morning that Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell — as well as everyone else on the basketball operations staff — tested negative for the disease, meaning the pair are fully recovered.

Though the Utah Department of Health does not deem any members of the Jazz a risk of infection to others, it’s important to note here that only Gobert and Mitchell were publicly known to have tested positive. The Jazz were lucky to have only those two contract the disease (as far as we know), but all members of the organization will assuredly continue to play it safe as the NBA considers the next steps toward resuming play.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended play for the league the night of March 11, after Oklahoma health officials tested Gobert, who had exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, and found him positive for the respiratory infection. The Jazz tested just about everyone who had been in contact with Gobert that week, including several members of the media, and later found Mitchell tested positive as well.

Utah’s third-year star guard appeared to celebrate his good news on Twitter on Friday.

This news comes after word that Pistons big man Christian Wood also recovered. Wood tested positive on March 14. The Jazz and Pistons played back on March 7, but it’s unclear for now how the web of meetings between infected players and other team officials traces through the NBA’s spring calendar. As more players recover and the league continues to practice aggressive isolation tactics, the NBA inches closer to a point when it can consider what form the rest of the 2019-20 season will take.