“For French people who wake up. I had Rudy Gobert on the phone, he's fine ! Let's not panic ”. This is the reassuring message posted by Evan Fournier on Twitter on March 12. The French player of Orlando Magic learned from us the day before that Rudy Gobert had tested positive at Covid-19, just before his match against Oklahoma City.
For French people who wake up. I've had @ rudygobert27 on the phone, he's fine ♥ ️ !!
Let’s not panic.– Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) March 12, 2020
Rudy Gobert “Has been tested negative for seasonal flu, sore throat or respiratory tract infection”, his Utah Jazz team explained on NBA.com on March 11. “His symptoms subsided during the day, however, as a precaution, the decision was made to test him for Covid-19. A preliminary positive result fell before the start of the game in Oklahoma City ”.
A few minutes before kick-off, the match was canceled. The league immediately canceled all the matches of the evening, then decided to suspend the season until further notice. “The NBA will take advantage of this break to determine the next steps to take to move forward in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic”, can we read on its website.
No precise information indicates how Rudy Gobert could have been exposed to the coronavirus, but the American site The Athletic indicates that "Sources have told us that Gobert has rubbed shoulders with people who have recently traveled from France". The epidemic has become widespread in recent days in France with more than 2,280 cases diagnosed for 48 deaths.
Sources tell The Athletic that Gobert has been around people who recently traveled from France, but there is no clear determination on how he contracted the virus.
More of the latest details on a developing story here, unlocked for all 🔓👇https: //t.co/Vhti1HRiSr
– The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) March 12, 2020
Before learning that he was affected by the coronavirus, Rudy Gobert seemed to take the subject lightly. Monday, the French pivot made an awkward joke by touching all the microphones of the journalists, a smile on his lips, at the end of his press conference.
So… here is Rudy touching all the mics following Mondays shoot around that has some people concerned… #TakeNote #utahjazz #CoronaVirus pic.twitter.com/dr4auECTr4
– Dave Fox (@ Davefox2) March 12, 2020
