Donovan Mitchell at Boston Casino Days Before Coronavirus Test: Report

Friday 13th March 2020

Encore Boston Harbor officials and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced Thursday that a recent guest at the Massachusetts resort had tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Boston Globe, that guest has been revealed as Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell tested positive for coronavirus less than 24 hours after his teammate and fellow All-Star Rudy Gobert also tested positive for it. Both players were in Boston last week as the Jazz faced the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

The guest, presumed to be Mitchell, visited the casino March 5, one day before the game, and was there for about an hour. He reportedly came in contact with seven people, and those people have been alerted.

Photos also showed Gobert interacting with Boston Celtic Vincent Poirier, who is a fellow French player. According to Toucher & Rich, the two reportedly had dinner together following the Celtics-Jazz game.

Boston was one of the five teams the Jazz have played in the last 10 days, which also includes the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Detroit and Cleveland. Those teams were asked to self-quarantine as a precaution.

After the NBA announced its decision to suspend the 2019-20 season, the Celtics, who were expected to play the Eastern Conference leader Milwaukee Bucks, returned home to Boston Thursday afternoon, with many of the players wearing masks.

Despite fears, Boston released a statement Thursday saying that according to the Massachusetts Department of Health, "it is unlikely that anyone from the team came into contact with them while they were contagious." The team went on to say all staff and players will be tested.

In addition to suspending the season and telling players to self-quarantine, the NBA has also implemented a few other guidelines for players of all 30 teams as the world deals with the pandemic.

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, all players must remain in their team's home market and remain home for as long as possible. There are to be no group workouts or practices, and team physicians must speak with each player every day. The protocol is effective immediately and runs through March 16.

Calling into 'Inside the NBA' on TNT, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday he expects the league's hiatus to last at least 30 days, though there is currently no specific timetable. When asked if there's a chance the season be canceled altogether, he replied "of course it's possible," but it's too early to call.