NBA suspends season after player diagnosed with COVID-19

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Wednesday that it is suspending the remainder of the season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The decision came after a delay in the Jazz's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The NBA said in a statement that the player's test result came in "shortly prior to the tip-off" of the game.

"At that time, tonight's game was cancelled," the league said. "The affected player was not in the arena."

It did not name the player, whose identity remains unknown.

The suspension will take effect after the conclusion of Wednesday night's other games "until further notice," the NBA said.

"The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps in moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic," it added.

The coronavirus was first detected last December in Wuhan, China but has since spread to more than 105 countries.

The global death toll from the virus, officially known as COVID-19, is nearly 4,300 with more than 118,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization.