Accidental hero Rudy Gobert makes North America sit up and take notice of the coronavirus
(www.thestar.com)And then Rudy Gobert, who treated the coronavirus as a joke, tested positive, and sports stopped. It resulted in the most significant public acknowledgment in North America that this was an emergency, that the coronavirus outbreak was real. Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive, sure, in Australia.
But Tom Hanks testing positive doesn’t shut down movies, TV, the theatre and high school plays. Tom Hanks testing positive just shuts down Tom Hanks.
“Honestly,” said one sports executive, sounding drained. “Rudy Gobert saved America. He really did.”
It's amazing what can act as a tipping point. I think visibly ill Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg coaching yesterday with a bad regular flu during the Big 10 tournament may have factored in as well.