NBA's Rudy Gobert Still Can't Smell After COVID-19 Battle, 'Could Take a Year'

It's been almost 4 months since Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 ... but his sense of smell is still MIA.

The Utah Jazz star was one of the first cases of coronavirus in pro sports when it was confirmed on March 11 ... leading to the shut down of the 2019-20 NBA season.

One of the common symptoms is loss of smell and taste -- and the 28-year-old Frenchman is telling L'Equipe he still isn't fully recovered in that sense.

"The taste has returned, but the smell is still not 100%," Gobert said in French.

"I can smell the smells, but not from afar. I spoke to specialists, who told me that it could take up to a year."

Remember, Gobert was the guy who famously joked around about COVID-19 ... jokingly touching a bunch of microphones and other recording devices at a press conference before he formally tested positive.

Afterward, Gobert's teammate, Donovan Mitchell, tested positive -- leading to a rift between the two.