The NBA season has been suspended until further notice and the New York Knicks are still getting heat. Stephen Colbert, who is the host of CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, recently filmed an episode without a studio audience and he talked about the news of the NBA suspending operations after it was discovered that Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus.
Due to the Knicks having a ton of struggles this season, Colbert decided to take a shot at them. He said: “Last night we learned that the NBA has suspended its season until further notice. So congratulations to the New York Knicks. It’s the best thing to happen to them all year.”
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Based on the way the season was going, Colbert might be right. As of now, the Knicks have a 21-45 record and back in January, fans were chanting “sell the team” to owner James Dolan.
“You can’t blame them,” George Willis of the New York Post wrote went talking about he fans attacking Dolan at the time. “The final seconds of excitement couldn’t make up for the lackluster performance they had seen, especially in the second half when the home team was outscored 68-54.”
As far as the NBA goes, Commissioner Adam Silver said the league could return in June. Before that announcement, Silver said the NBA would be suspended at least 30 days and he sent a letter to fans.
“In the meantime, we will continue to coordinate with infectious disease and public health experts along with government officials to determine safe protocols for resuming our games. As we develop the appropriate course for future NBA games and events, we will keep you informed of any changes as soon as they happen. Tickets already purchased for a postponed game will be honored when the game is rescheduled. If games are not played or played in an empty arena, teams will work with fans on a credit for a future game or a refund.”
After Gobert tested positive for coronavirus, a few more NBA players also contracted the disease including Brooklyn Nets player Kevin Durant. For Gobert’s part, he apologized for not taking coronavirus seriously.
“The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered,” he said on Instagram. “At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus.”
