Elton Brand, Brett Brown Issue Statements on NBA's Decision to Suspend Season

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers stayed the course of the season and planned to host the Detroit Pistons for a 7:00 pm matchup. On any other night, this wouldn't be a big deal. But with COVID-19 becoming a major concern amongst the United States and the NBA, the decision to allow fans to pack the Wells Fargo Center was a risky one, considering everything that has been going on.

Before tip-off, the NBA hasn't had any issues in regards to the virus. By the time the Sixers' matchup with the Pistons concluded, however, that changed. Not even ten minutes after the Sixers defeated the Pistons, the news came out that in Oklahoma City, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for COVID-19. His diagnosis led the NBA to put out a statement, immediately announcing the suspension of the league.

"The NBA is suspending gameplay following the conclusion of tonight's schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine the next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."

To no surprise, the Sixers refused to allow any players to speak to the media on Wednesday night. Instead, General Manager, Elton Brand, and Head Coach, Brett Brown, took the podium to issue statements on the series of events.

Elton Brand

"We have great leadership in the NBA. It's important that fans, players, and the coaching staff here at the Sixers' [arena] remain healthy, and we do everything that we can. We believe in the leadership of the league. We're not going to speculate on what we're going to do [as a team]. We're going to re-group. We had just heard about this five minutes ago, but it's the utmost importance that our fans, our players, and our staff feel safe."

Brett Brown

"If you follow the league, you have to have faith in the league. Adam Silver is an amazing leader, and we're a part of this NBA brotherhood. The instruction was to come in and play the game. If you look at the proactive measures our club has taken, and the league has taken, they should be applauded. It must be a very serious situation to make the decision that they have made. We look forward to learning more over the next few hours."

The NBA will issue an update sometime soon. For the time being, though, the league is on hold until further notice.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_