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A minute-by-minute look at March 11, the night Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 and changed sports

It’s both amazing and horrifying to think that the night a professional athlete testing positive for COVID-19 was perhaps the first time many Americans took the pandemic seriously.

But it’s true.

In the days leading up to March 11, 2020, the reported cases of COVID-19 in the United States numbered in the hundreds. Italy had announced a nation-wide lockdown the day before, and countries around the world were figuring out their strategies. Yet, up to that point, it all still felt distant for many Americans.

Then, in the span of just a few hours on that Wednesday night, everything changed in sports and culture. We decided to look back on what exactly happened leading up to and after the night Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive.

March 9: Rudy Gobert touches reporters' recorders

Gobert spoke with reporters after shootaround ahead of the Jazz’s game against the Toronto Raptors. When he finished his availability, he touched all of the mics and recorders sitting in front of him before dashing off:

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, he addressed his mindset with these actions:

That it came from a good intention. It was the first day that we found out that the media was not going to be able to interview us, right next to us, and, you know, we obviously didn’t know as much as we know now, and I only did that to try to liven the mood a little bit. It was, of course, if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do it.

March 11, 12:24 PM ET: Gobert and Emmanuel Mudiay are declared questionable for the game against the Thunder with an "illness"

That was all we knew heading into that Wednesday night’s contest between the Jazz and Thunder:

March 11, 6:55 PM ET: Gobert and Mudiay are ruled out

Again, no word regarding what that “illness” was at that point.

March 11, around 8 p.m. ET: The Jazz and Thunder begin warming up but they're stopped

Tweets from reporters at the game start trickling in that right before tipoff, players were told to go back to their benches as medical personnel and officials are in discussions about … something.

March 11, around 8:17 p.m. ET: Players are sent back to the locker room

By this point, it seemed inevitable what was coming next. But again: no word yet on what exactly was going on.

March 11, around 8:45 PM ET: The game is officially postponed

The announcement came over the PA to some shocked fans.

March 11, 9:02 PM ET: President Donald Trump delivers a White House address

This was a shocking moment because Trump announced a restriction on travel from Europe to the United States. The chaos stemming from the announcement began immediately.

 

March 11, 9:14 PM ET: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announce they tested positive for COVID-19

This has to be mentioned in the middle of all of this: the couple, in Australia at the time, revealed the news on social media.

March 11, 9:27 PM ET: Gobert's positive test for COVID-19 is confirmed

It was a shock even with the events leading up to the breaking news. Everyone wondered how the NBA would respond.

March 11, 9:31 PM ET: The NBA immediately suspends its season

That’s four minutes between the news of Gobert’s positive test and the season stopping.

Looking back on all of this, it took all of about an hour and a half for EVERYTHING to change.

March 11, 9:38 PM ET: Mark Cuban is filmed the moment he finds out the season is suspended

Cuban was in attendance for the Dallas Mavericks game against the Denver Nuggets. His reaction says it all:

He spoke to ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi not long after that:

March 12, 10:49 AM ET: Donovan Mitchell also tests positive

A frightening night as players and personnel quarantined and were tested. Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell tested positive.

Mudiay, who also had an “illness” said he tested negative later that day.

March 12, 11:41 AM ET: MLS suspends its season for 30 days

March 12, 1:36 PM ET: The NHL pauses its season

March 12, 1:49 PM ET: Duke announces it will suspend athletic activities indefinitely

Other universities including Kansas and Arizona State do the same, a step closer to the 2020 men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments getting canceled entirely.

March 12, 3:10 PM ET: MLB cancels spring training games and delays its opening day

March 12, 4:16 PM ET: The NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships, including basketball tournaments

At that point, it seemed inevitable.

Although there was so much more to come, in under 24 hours, the sports world — and beyond — had been changed.

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