The Milwaukee Bucks improved to 8-0 behind a 115-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The 8-0 start is the best start in franchise history and the Bucks are the only undefeated team remaining in the NBA. Almost 12 hours after the game ended, Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert entered the league’s health and safety protocol. The Athletic‘s Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter.
Minnesota's Rudy Gobert has entered health and safety protocols and is listed out tonight vs. Rockets.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 5, 2022
Gobert played 30 minutes for the T-Wolves and had seven points, 13 rebounds, a steal, and a block. Gobert spent much of his time on defense clogging the lane and guarding Bucks players Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis.
The NBA’s health and safety protocol, of course, is meant for players that have tested positive for COVID-19, or who have been exposed to the virus. While it is possible that no Bucks players caught the virus, it will not be surprising if one or more of them also enter the league’s protocols soon. The Bucks play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night on at home in Milwaukee.
Rudy Gobert and COVID Will Be Remembered Together for a Long Time
Of course, this is not the first time that Gobert has tested positive for COVID. When the virus was first making its away across the United States, many people, including Gobert, did not take it seriously. There was a viral video of him touching microphones and every surface around him during a press conference while he was with the Utah Jazz in 2020.
This went from not funny to REALLY not funny real fast!
Wtf was Rudy Gobert thinking??? 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️#NBA #Canceled #Covid_19 pic.twitter.com/WLWxU6P1Ym
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) March 12, 2020
Shortly after this press conference, Gobert tested positive for COVID and the NBA shut down. At the time, the Milwaukee Bucks were the best team in the NBA. When the NBA resumed inside of the Orlando bubble, they were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Playoffs.
Hopefully, first and foremost, everyone (Gobert, the Minnesota team, and the Bucks) come out of this situation healthy. Also, this hopefully will not derail what has been the best start in franchise history for Milwaukee.