VIDEO: Players and Refs Leave Court Right Before Start of Jazz-Thunder Game Amid Reports of Response to Coronavirus

The coronavirus scare sweeping the world has the NBA completely discombobulated, and that confusion with regards to how to proceed with their schedule has led to a game being suspended right before tipoff. Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz were going to take on Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder, but a potential coronavirus scare at or near the arena has forced the officials and players to leave the court.

The refs have left the floor. This is crazy. pic.twitter.com/hNHYbqLOdV
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) March 12, 2020

UPDATE: The game has been postponed, per the NBA:

Thunder vs Jazz has been postponed, per the NBA.
— Steven Barnhart (@HWHoopsCentral) March 12, 2020

And it's said Rudy Gobert's illness was among one of the reasons why:

OKC broadcast saying that because there were illnesses with players prior to the game, Rudy Gobert among them, waiting for league approval to proceed. Players apparently conferred on this before the game.
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) March 12, 2020

And it's now official that he's been diagnosed with Coronavirus:

The Jazz and Thunder players are currently quarantined in the OKC arena, league sources tell ESPN. This is following Rudy Gobert testing positive for the coronavirus.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020

It's still unclear what the exact reason was that forced both teams back into the locker room. Rather than wildly speculate and throw out a million different potential explanations, we'll just chalk this up to the league catching wind of something coronavirus-related and deciding that starting the game was against their best interests. Before this game, a report also dropped about the league continuing the season without fans in attendance.

But that doesn't change what a strange sight this is to behold, especially live.

BREAKING: After meeting with the Thunder and Jazz head coaches, NBA officials have instructed both teams to head back to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/6ngC0QBdEt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 12, 2020

The coronavirus has forced the league to so some things that are totally unprecedented in the name of public health, including stopping a game just seconds before tipoff and waiting for the league's OK to restart it.