COVID-19: pledges by professional athletes as of March 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic that spread across the world at the beginning of 2020 was not only a big threat to public health, but also to the entire sports industry. After Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for the coronavirus, the league decided to suspend its season indefinitely in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. In response, Gobert pledged to donate 500 thousand U.S. dollars to help those affected by the virus and the subsequent cancelation to sporting events. This included a 200 thousand U.S. dollar donation to the part-time employees at the Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of Utah Jazz.
