Rudy Gobert Says He's Still Not Fully Recovered From COVID-19 After Three Months

Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz face the Boston Celtics
Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz face the Boston Celtics / Omar Rawlings/Getty Images
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Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 back in March and, once he did, a number of sports shut down as a result. Now, three months later, the Utah Jazz star claims he's still not fully recovered from from the virus.

Gobert told French newspaper L'Equipe that he is still dealing with some side-effects, particularly with his sense of smell:

""The taste has returned, but the smell is still not 100%. I can smell smells, but not from afar. I spoke to specialists, who told me that it could take up to a year (to return to normal).""

When asked if he was 100 percent and ready to return to basketball action, Gobert said he wouldn't know until he was back in competition. He did say he still feels "strange things" occasionally, but he's not sure if they are from the virus or from just not playing in a long time.

Hopefully Gobert's symptoms are nothing to worry about and once he gets back back into game-shape things will be fine. But it's certainly worrisome that months after his recovery he still doesn't feel back to normal.

The NBA now has a schedule for its bubble restart in Orlando beginning on July 30. There is a lot of concern out there that players will test positive for coronavirus and get sick as a result. Even if they don't wind up in the hospital with a severe case, we still don't know the long-term effects the virus can have. It's certainly a big risk.