Rudy Gobert reflects on mic-touching fiasco

Back in March, Jazz center Rudy Gobert was speaking with the media when he thought it would be funny to touch all of the microphones. The moment of levity took on some unexpected weight when, two days later, Gobert became the first player in the NBA to test positive for COVID-19.

The fallout was swift and immediate, with the league shutting down for several months, and the moment reportedly even caused tension between Gobert and teammate Donovan Mitchell, who also tested positive for COVID. While it's impossible to blame Gobert for the global pandemic that followed, many pointed to his casual attitude as proof that people had not taken the virus seriously enough, allowing it to spread. 

The image of Gobert touching the mics has stuck with him for over nine months, and the Jazz center reflected on the moment, saying that while he wishes he hadn't done it, it's important to remember how different things were at that point in time. None of us really understood how drastically the pandemic would change all of our lives, with over 300,000 Americans dead due to COVID.

"It came from a good intention," Gobert told ESPN's Lisa Salters. "It was the first day that we found out that the media was not going to be able to interview us, right next to us, and, you know, we obviously didn't know as much as we know now, and I only did that to try to liven the mood a little bit. It was, of course, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't do it."