Remembering the Infamous Rudy Gobert Press Conference

Six years later, the NBA's COVID-19 shutdown can be traced back to a harmless joke

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Six years ago, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert turned a simple joke at the end of a press conference into a match that sparked the powderkeg that was the 2020 sports world shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gobert's positive test just two days later led to the NBA suspending its season, setting off a chain of events that rocked the sports world and the world at large.

Why it matters

Gobert's press conference and subsequent positive COVID-19 test became a pivotal moment in the early days of the pandemic, as it led to the unprecedented shutdown of the NBA and set off a wave of cancellations and postponements across the sports world. The incident highlighted the speed at which the virus was spreading and the uncertainty that gripped society at the time.

The details

On March 9, 2020, Gobert ended a press conference by deliberately touching all the microphones, making light of concerns about the coronavirus. Just two days later, he tested positive for COVID-19, leading the NBA to suspend its season indefinitely. This set off a chain reaction that saw most major sports leagues shut down, as the sports world and society at large were thrown into chaos by the rapidly evolving pandemic.

  • On March 9, 2020, Rudy Gobert made his infamous press conference joke.
  • On March 11, 2020, Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, leading the NBA to suspend its season.

The players

Rudy Gobert

A French professional basketball player who was a center for the Utah Jazz at the time of the incident.

Mark Cuban

The owner of the Dallas Mavericks, who was captured on camera reacting to the news of the NBA shutdown.

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What they’re saying

“It's even funnier, in hindsight, that two days later, the French center would test positive for COVID-19 and effectively get the whole league shut down.”

— Austin Perry, Author (outkick.com)

“I remember how incredulous everyone in the arena was about the whole ordeal. Most of us, naively, didn't even think the league would fully shut down.”

— Austin Perry, Author (outkick.com)

What’s next

The lasting impact of Gobert's press conference joke and the subsequent COVID-19 shutdown continues to be felt in the sports world and beyond, as leagues and organizations work to adapt to the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic.

The takeaway

Gobert's infamous press conference moment serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly the COVID-19 pandemic upended the sports world and society as a whole, highlighting the speed at which the virus spread and the uncertainty that gripped the nation in the early days of the crisis.