The celebration of the New York Knicks' 1969-70 NBA championship team has been postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, per Ian Begley of SNY.
The event was scheduled for Saturday, March 21:
The celebration of the Knicks' 1969-70 championship team, scheduled for March 21, has been postponed due to concerns over coronavirus.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 11, 2020
The NBA is limiting locker room access to only player and essential team personnel in response to the coronavirus. Teams were also instructed to create a six to eight-foot distance between players and media in availability sessions outside locker rooms.
The NBA has already sent multiple memos to teams to prepare contingency plans in case they need to play games without fans in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus. Teams have also been asked to identify “essential staff” to be present for such games if the need arises.
Soccer and basketball games in Europe have been played without fans in recent days.
Among the NBA’s short-term recommendations to teams in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak are for players to utilize fist-bumps over high-fives with fans.
Furthermore, there are bigger concerns being addressed in the NBA. The possibility that pre-draft combines, on-site workouts and international scouting events could become more limited are a possibility.
The 2012-13 season was the last time the Knicks had a winning record and made the playoffs. New York just hired former NBA agent Leon Rose as its new president of basketball operations. Now, fans are praying Rose can do what Phil Jackson was unable to accomplish and turn the team into a winner.
Last Wednesday, the Knicks drew their smallest home crowd in nearly 13 and-a-half years, falling more than 3,200 below capacity in a 112-104 loss to the Utah Jazz. The announced crowd was just 16,588, with noticeable patches of empty seats throughout an arena that lists 19,812 as its capacity for NBA games.
Follow Us
Subscribe