Rumors of Utah Jazz All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell not being able to salvage their relationship after testing positive for COVID-19 are greatly exaggerated, if you are to ask the French big man.
Prior to his positive diagnosis, Gobert displayed a cavalier attitude toward the situation, as he had reportedly been careless in the locker room in terms of touching other players and their belongings despite warnings about the severity of the situation. Shortly thereafter, Mitchell also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Though Mitchell was understandably hesitant to patch things up at first, Gobert said the two have talked recently and in turn have gotten back on the same page.
“It’s true that we didn’t speak for a while after this, but we spoke a few days ago,” Gobert said on Instagram Live on Sunday, via ESPN. “We’re both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team … It’s not about being unprofessional. You know, everyone has got different relationships — it’s never perfect. People that are married, it’s never perfect. So you know, me and my teammates, it’s far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing — and it’s winning. We’re both grown men, and we both are going to do what it takes to win.
“There’s no fight,” Gobert added. “It’s all about thousands of people are dying every day, and it’s all about what we can do to help, what we can do to bring some positive. That’s what my focus is on now.”
While Gobert apologized to Mitchell and the rest of his Jazz teammates privately, he also issued a public apology last month and admitted that he was embarrassed by his handling of the situation and wished that he had taken it more seriously.
“The first and most important thing is, I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered,” Gobert said. “At the time, I had no idea I was even infected. I was careless and make no excuse. I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus. ”
Mitchell and Gobert are arguably the two most important players on the Jazz, and if their relationship was permanently fractured it would be a big blow to the team’s title hopes. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of the two ultimately traded, which would completely alter the Jazz as currently constructed. The fact that Gobert seems to believe that there won’t be a lingering issue is a positive sign for the franchise. How true that is remains to be seen. But they say that time helps to heal wounds and with all the players from across the league’s landscape forced to be away from their teammates for weeks on end, perhaps that will be the case in Utah.
