Barkley calls for NCAA March Madness to be postponed over coronavirus concerns

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March 12, 2020

NBA legend and native Alabamian Charles Barkley has called for the postponement of the NCAA’s annual college basketball tournament due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

“Turner Sports and CBS got to close down March Madness,” said Barkley, who works in conjunction with CBS’s coverage of the tournaments, in a television interview with the ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“Even if there are no fans in the stadium, you can’t have these players breathing on each other for two weeks,” he added.

"I think we're going to have to shut down March Madness until we know more." —Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/hfogDJlYNl

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 12, 2020

Barkley’s comments come in the wake of a rash of cancellations across the United States due to fears of spreading the coronavirus.

The NBA on Wednesday night suspended the remainder of its season after Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell tested positive for the disease the Thursday morning.

Multiple conferences and large gatherings have been canceled in Alabama due to fears of the disease, and government agencies are recommending people restrict out of state travel.

“I think we’re going to have to shut down March Madness until we know more,” Barkley concluded.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.

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