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Some people believe the coronavirus pandemic is a bunch of hype, including Utah Jazz basketball star Rudy Gobert, who intentionally got overly personal at the interviews that took place after his latest game.
Just two days later, he tested positive for the coronavirus, COVID-19, after everyone in attendance at the previous game and after-game interview had gone home.
On Monday, Gobert made a joke that would essentially cost the NBA season.
The NBA had already made the decision shortly before Monday to limit all public access to the basketball players, coaches and other team members, to prevent the potential for spreading the virus.
Gobert thought the added precautions were ridiculous and began joking about it at the after-game interview. He then proceeded to intentionally walk around the room, touching every reporter's mic and recorder mouth piece that was available.
On Wednesday the Jazz were set to play the Thunder.
Just before tip-off, however, the players were asked to leave the court.
Test results came back for Rudy Gobert, showing he tested positive for COVID-19.
Gobert and fellow player, Emmanuel Mudiay, were already potentially not going to play the game due to perceived illnesses.
After discovering Gobert's diagnosis, the Jazz-Thunder game was cancelled and all attendees were asked to leave in an orderly fashion.
Because Gobert and all the other players and attendees went home from that previous game—after he made a point to touch all of the reporter's mics and recorders—there's no telling how many people were impacted by careless germ-sharing.
Later in the day, the NBA made the tough decision to suspend the rest of their season.
Fans and those involved in the NBA were, of course, a combination of upset at the outcome and comforted that the NBA was taking the necessary precautions, however extreme.
It should be obvious now that the virus is spreading and that everyone needs to do what they can to not do any unnecessary germ-sharing.
Florida GOP Representative Matt Gaetz also mocked precautions against the spread of COVID-19, right before one of his constituents died. And right before Gaetz and others were exposed to the virus at the CPAC conference.
Gobert also mocked common sense precautions against a pandemic.
Maybe it's time for people in positions of power or public influence to stop joking about protecting public health.