The NBA's COVID-19 patient zero says his monumental screwup with his team could make the Utah Jazz 'even stronger' 5 months later

• In March, Rudy Gobert famously became the NBA's COVID-19 patient zero when his diagnosis with the virus helped spur the shutdown of the league and, soon after, all of North American professional sports.
• Gobert's irresponsible behavior before his positive test reportedly created rifts between him and his Utah Jazz teammates, including superstar Donovan Mitchell, who also tested positive for the virus.
• Now, nearly five months after his coronavirus case rattled the sports world and his team, Gobert told The Washington Post that the situation is "something that could make the group even stronger."

Ever since Rudy Gobert's positive COVID-19 test shuttered North American professional sports and spurred an intra-team conflict amongst his Utah Jazz, the NBA world has been speculating about how the squad will recover once they return to action.

But as far as the back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year is concerned, the entire experience of becoming the NBA's COVID-19 patient zero in March is "something that could make the group even stronger."

In an interview with The Washington Post, Gobert admitted that Donovan Mitchell — his young teammate and fellow 2020 All-Star — was "frustrated" after the French big man made light of the seriousness of the pandemic in the lockeer room and by jokingly touching microphones in the days leading up to his positive test. Shortly after that, Mitchell also returned a positive test for the novel coronavirus.

"When everything happened, [Mitchell] was frustrated," Gobert said. "I was frustrated. I really wanted to make sure that he was fine. It wasn't really about going into a conflict or arguing. [After time passed], I was able to call him and tell him what was on my mind, and he did the same. I think that's what men should do. Don't put the business out there in the media."

There were rumblings that the duo's relationship may not be salvageable in light of Gobert's behavior in the lead-up to his diagnosis. And given that Gobert and Mitchell are Utah's two most prominent stars, many in the NBA world speculated that an ongoing feud between the two would almost necessarily spell trouble for the team and their prospects of success on the court.

Instead, the 7-footer has found a way to turn his monumental screwup into a positive.

"People were seeing this as something that could destroy the group," Gobert told The Post. "I see it as something that could make the group even stronger. If you're able to come back from that, we won't be worried about a team beating us or a bad defensive quarter."

"It gives perspective," he added.

Even though he and his teammates appear to have patched things up, Gobert stressed that he still views the experience as "a big learning experience." He said it was challenging "to see so many people question my character based on one video."

Though he recognizes that his actions made him appear to be "someone who doesn't care about other people's safety or lives," Gobert urged everyone to "get to know people" and "go deeper" before judging them.

"We all have the tendency to judge people without knowing them," he said. "You watch us play basketball every day, but you don't know who we are, what we've been through, what we're going through. Get to know people. Go deeper. You can spread a lot of positive messages [on social media], but you can also spread hate and judgment. You've got a choice."

Gobert, Mitchell, and their Jazz teammates return to action against the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be the NBA's first since the league came to a screeching halt on March 11.

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