FILE PHOTO: Mar 4, 2020; New York, New York, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) takes a shot during pregame warmups prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
March 23, 2020
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert said he has temporarily lost his sense of smell as he tries to recover from coronavirus.
Gobert, whose positive test kickstarted both the NBA and sports world shutdown, asked on social media if others are experiencing similar symptoms.
“Just to give you guys an update, loss of smell and taste is definitely one of the symptoms, haven’t been able to smell anything for the last 4 days. Anyone experiencing the same thing?” Gobert posted on his Twitter account.
Gobert, 27, was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 on March 11, prompting the league to suspend its regular season indefinitely, just minutes after the Jazz and Thunder were set to tip off in Oklahoma City. He since has apologized for acting carelessly before learning of the diagnosis.
Jazz teammate and fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell tested positive the following day, and there are now 10 confirmed positive tests for COVID-19 among NBA players. Only five of those players have been identified: Gobert and Mitchell from the Jazz, injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, plus the Detroit Pistons’ Christian Wood and the Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart.
On March 14, Gobert pledged to donate a total of $500,000 for arena employees in Utah and Oklahoma City, as well as overall COVID-19 relief in his home country of France.
–Field Level Media
