In Italy, major football matches are now played without the presence of fans in order to stop the spread of the newscoronavirus epidemic. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA is set to follow suit, if necessary.
“The NBA has sent a memo to its franchises explaining that due to a coronavirus epidemic, teams should prepare to play fanless games and identify the” essential staff “present for those games – if necessary “, Charania tweeted on Friday. .
News broke in the second quarter of the Suns’ 127-117s on the Trail Blazers. After the game, Suns goalkeeper Devin Booker said he was just catching up and that the team had never discussed playing in empty arenas.
“We didn’t do it. I only see it for the first time after the match,” he said on Friday. “It is above my salary. Whatever happens, it does happen, but health is the most important thing on this road, so I hope everyone can stay away and stay in security.”
The Suns will play at home against the Bucks on Sunday, but will be on the road until March 18. After Sunday, they will have only two home games at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in March.
Their next road trip includes a game in Portland Tuesday. On Friday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention listed Oregon as reporting one to five confirmedcaseof the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
In professional sports, some teams have advised players to monitor their interactions with the fans. The Dallas Mavericks interrupted a five-game pre-game ritual between fans and players in the tunnel.
Suns coach Monty Williams questioned fears of the new coronavirus Thursday, before the report of the note. At this point, he didn’t watch how the players interacted with the fans or with each other.
“I am not looking at this,” he said. “I can’t – it’s hard to answer that. I think everyone is aware and careful, just because it’s something you have to take seriously. We had a presentation a few days ago to give us an idea of what to look for, how to take care of yourself and where it is in the country.
“I think all of our guys are cautious. That’s about all I can say. I don’t watch to see if the guys bump into their fists or elbows or something or nod. I just hope everyone tries to be as sure as they can. “
Booker noted that he was “isolated enough to start” when it comes to the way he takes care of himself. Suns forward Mikal Bridges said the team’s presentation had reinforced some of his mother’s previous messages.
“I’ve gotten into the habit of biting my nails, so I have to take that off,” said Bridges on Friday. “My mother has been trying to stop me from biting my nails since I was a child. … This is probably the biggest thing, but just staying healthy, and the biggest thing is washing your hands. ”
His main takeaways from the meeting were to be attentive and to wash their hands frequently, and he noted that he might try to buy a hand sanitizer after the shoot.
If he needs suggestions on where to look, he can ask his teammate Aron Baynes. Baynes, who had a career high of 37 points in Friday’s win, remains stockpiled, in part because he is the father of two.
“When we travel, we travel with twenty or so hand-operated figures anyway,” said Baynes. “It’s probably not going to change our summer plans, but yes, it’s definitely a concern. … My immediate little family that we have here, we’re just trying to stay as prepared as possible, if anything should change of what it’s now. But we’re just busy with our daily lives, and we’re probably washing our hands a few more times than normal, but not too much. “
Although he is not sure what action the NBA will take next, Williams noted that the spread of the virus had his attention.
“We watch it every day on television,” he said on Thursday. “And the league has always been ahead in situations like this. I’m sure they have precautions in place. I hope that doesn’t happen, but we’ll see.”
Contact the reporter at [email protected] or 480-356-6407. Follow her on Twitter @ kfitz134.
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