Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has received heavy criticism for the circumstances that led to his positive coronavirus test earlier this week, but now he’s putting his money where his mouth is.
The Jazz announced Saturday that Gobert is donating $500,000 to various locales in the name of coronavirus relief. $200,000 of it will go to part-time arena staff at Utah’s Vivint Smart Home Arena who will be out of work while the NBA is suspended. $100,000 each will go to funds for impacted families in Utah and Oklahoma, where Gobert tested positive, and another $100,000 will be donated to Gobert’s native France.
Here is the full release from the Jazz, including quotes from Gobert. pic.twitter.com/FA9H3jJ59i
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 14, 2020
Gobert’s positive test led to the suspension of the NBA season, and helped trigger a domino effect that essentially shut down American sports. He has since apologized for not taking the virus seriously, and this act shows that he wants to help in a big way. For that, he should be applauded.
