OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – Five years ago today, basketball fans in both Oklahoma and Utah alike were preparing for a big matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz.
Everything seemed normal at the time at the Paycom Center, fans were taking their seats, players were warming up and the jumbotron was showing every angle — until it flashed something that changed the course of sports for the next year.
Minutes before tip-off, Jazz star Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19 and the game had been postponed, per the NBA.
Then later that night it was announced the rest of the NBA season, playoffs included, would be suspended until further notice.
The postponement caused a snowball effect that resulted in many other college and professional leagues to place restrictions on their seasons or suspend them all together. We all remember the NBA Finals bubble with virtual fans and MLB stadiums with fan cut outs and pumped in crowd noise.
Now fast forward five years later, COVID is still around but not in the capacity it was. The Thunder, who at the time of the shutdown were the 5th seed, now hold a steady hold on 1st in the Western Conference.
The team is almost completely different with the exception of MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort being the only two on the active roster who were with the team in 2020.
Thunder fans will remember some names from that roster though such as Steven Adams, Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder, Mike Muscala, Terrance Ferguson and Billy Donovan at Head Coach.
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