Rumor: Utah Jazz Pissed At Rudy Gobert, Says Relationship Would Be Tough To Repair After Coronavirus Fiasco

It looks like the debacle of having two of its All-Stars positive for the Coronavirus has spilled over the relationship among the players and personnel within the Utah Jazz.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said the team is visibly frustrated with Rudy Gobert, the first of two players who tested positive for the virus, and that fixing the strained relationship - caused by the big man’s reckless actions prior to testing - would be a daunting task to do right now.

"The Jazz are fortunate that they don't have to get back together and start playing games again right now. There is a lot of work to do to repair relationships. There's a lot of frustration with Gobert," Wojnarowski said Thursday on Sports Center.

Gobert was confirmed to be the first case of COVID-19 in the NBA on Wednesday. As concerns were rising exponentially, clips from a couple of days ago resurfaced and showed the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in a playful mood during a post-shootaround press con. In the said video, the 27-year-old jokingly – and carelessly – swiped all the media microphones on the table with his bare hands as he tried to mock the league’s precautionary measures, not aware that he was carrying the contagious disease.

"On Monday, Gobert jokingly mocked the NBA's temporary rules requiring media members to keep a 6- to 8-foot distance from players. Gobert, a Magic Johnson Award nominee last season due to his cooperation with the media, made a point to touch all the microphones and recording devices on the table in front of him after finishing his post-shootaround availability, which was set up in an interview room at the team's practice facility instead of the normal courtside area,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Tisha Thompson wrote in a report.

"Gobert had a similar cavalier attitude in the locker room, Jazz players privately said, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. As with other NBA players, Gobert exchanged high-fives with teammates as usual in recent games despite the coronavirus crisis escalating into a pandemic."

Gobert has since apologized for the incident, especially to those whom he “may have endangered,” saying he “had no idea” that he was infected during the time. “I was careless and make no excuse,” he admitted.