Donovan Mitchell Sends Emotional Message to Fans After Testing Positive for Coronavirus

March 12 will be a day Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell will never forget. After his teammate Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday night, Mitchell himself got the unfortunate news on Thursday morning that he was the only other member of the Jazz family to receive a positive.

With fans, family and friends obviously concerned for the young standout, he took to Instagram to let everyone know he's doing just fine. In addition, he's using his platform to raise awareness for the seriousness of COVID-19.

View this post on Instagram

Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test. We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well being of those around them. I appreciate the authorities in Oklahoma who were helpful with the testing process and everyone from the @utahjazz who have been so supportive. I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help❤️?

A post shared by Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) on Mar 12, 2020 at 10:20am PDT

What stands out from his post is when Mitchell says, "Hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly, both for their own health, and for the well-being of those around them."

It goes without saying, but Gobert would be wise to listen to this advice. The Utah big man, patient zero in the NBA for COVID-19, mocked the spread of the virus a few days prior, and was reportedly rather careless in the locker room before he was diagnosed.

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020

With the NBA suspending play, it's time for teams to take coronavirus seriously and make sure players, coaches and everyone around them stays safe and healthy. That's what Mitchell wants most right now.