Rudy Gobert’s careless actions toward recording equipment leave reporters fearful, uncertain Rudy Gobert’s careless actions toward recording equipment leave reporters fearful, uncertain
With news breaking Wednesday night that the NBA game between the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed in light of Rudy Gobert testing positive for coronavirus, a video of the Jazz center meeting with the press on Monday took on disturbing undertones.
As described by the Salt Lake Tribune s Eric Walden, reporters covering the Jazz met with players after shootaround in individual press conferences at the team s Zions Bank Basketball Center instead of on the court. Following the NBA s restrictions on media access to address coronavirus concerns, reporters sat six feet away from players for safety measures.
While many athletes and media have viewed these policies as excessive, the need for them becomes more apparent each day. Yet while meeting with the press on Monday, Gobert demonstrated that he felt keeping a distance from reporters was unnecessary, making a point of touching the microphones and recorders placed in front of him.