The NBA season started with players bowing down to communist China after a Houston Rockets executive dared to show support for protesters in Hong Kong.
And now it’s likely the season will end without fans in attendance thanks to the coronavirus that started in communist China and spread around the world thanks to that country’s secrecy and a lack of transparency at the beginning of the crisis. Seattle doesn’t have an NBA franchise anymore, but this could be a sign of things to come in cities that do have NBA teams:
BREAKING: To try to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Jay Inslee is expected Wednesday to restrict gatherings of more than 250 people, including at sporting events and concerts. https://t.co/LQhJ4Opwax
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) March 11, 2020
The NBA had been warning teams this might happen:
Sources: The NBA has sent a memo to its franchises explaining that, due to coronavirus outbreak, teams should be preparing to play games without fans in attendance and identifying “essential staff” present for these games — should it be necessary.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2020
More on that warning:
Postponing or canceling any game due to the coronavirus is a league office decision but the NBA, sources say, has notified teams to start "developing" contingency plans in case "it were to become necessary to play a game with only essential staff present" — no fans, media, etc
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 7, 2020
Among the measures that the NBA wants its teams to start preparing for is the possibility — if the situation worsens — for instituting "temperature checks" on various players, team staff members, referees and anyone else deemed "essential" to stage a game in such conditions
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 7, 2020
But star LeBron James said he wouldn’t play if fans aren’t at the games:
“We play games without the fans? Nah, that’s impossible. I ain’t playing, if I ain’t got the fans in the crowd, that’s who I play for.
—LeBron James on the possibility of playing games without fans in attendance due to concerns from the Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/E3Yb41YfCK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 7, 2020
The latest is that the NBA is thinking about moving games to cities that don’t have a coronavirus outbreak:
ESPN Sources: NBA is discussing scenarios that include moving some games to cities that have yet to suffer outbreaks — including opponent arenas or neutral sites. https://t.co/i3wxmSMNyw
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 11, 2020
And to show you how fast things are moving, 9 days ago the NBA was concerned with signing autographs:
Reporting with @ZachLowe_NBA: In memo to teams on coronavirus, NBA suggests players choose fist-bumps over high-fives and avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph. Teams also concerned about corona impact on pre-draft process. Story: https://t.co/dKZyDMZdVy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 2, 2020
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