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With several major event cancellations happening across the U.S. this week due to the Coronavirus, the NBA is beginning to put a plan into place that could see games being played without fans in attendance.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the NBA has sent a memo to team franchises asking them to be prepared just in case they decide to play games without fans in attendance.
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
NBA has been sending several informational memos to teams in order to prepare for whatever develops from coronavirus situation. A reminder of existing rules regarding postponement or cancellations of games was provided Friday night. https://t.co/17ac6wSiDt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2020
The NBA recently sent a memo earlier this week advising players to avoid shaking hands and using pens provided by fans to sign autographs.
Via CNBC
CNBC obtained a copy of the memo sent to front offices, which details the cause of the virus, how it can spread and offers players preventive measures to decrease the risk of becoming infected with coronavirus. The memo also says players should “avoid taking items (pens, markers, balls, jerseys, etc.) from fans to sign autographs,” which is a daily routine for NBA players during pregame warmups.
The memo also advised players and league employees to wash their hands for 20 seconds, using hand sanitizer as an additional option. Other details in the note include information on how coronavirus is spread, symptoms and actions the league has already taken, including consulting with an infectious disease researcher at Columbia University.
It will be wild to envision NBA games being played without fans in attendance but it seems like it’s becoming a real possibility considering everything that’s going on with the coronavirus in the past month or so.