If there aren't any fans in the arena, then don't even bother expecting Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James to lace up his sneakers and put on his jersey for an NBA game. Answering to reports that the NBA could possibly play games without fans, James said he doesn't want to play games in an empty arena.
“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 Lakers superstar added that he plays the game for the fans. Without them, he doesn't want any part of the action.
The NBA recently released a memo stating that there could be a possibility that they will play games without fans in the stands due to concerns from the coronavirus.
The disease that originated in Wuhan, China has spread like wildfire, which has caused a lot of panic throughout the entire globe. Many sporting events, concerts, and other in-door activities with large crowds have been either postponed or canceled as a result of the epidemic.
The King's reaction has garnered several eye rolls and side-eyes from fans on social media. Obviously, there are financial implications at stake here. James certainly doesn't want to lose any of the revenue the NBA gets from the thousands of fans who watch live games daily.
Nonetheless, the safety of players and fans alike needs to be priority number one for the league. Doing in-door events with thousands of people is obviously very risky as just one person with the COVID-19 could potentially infect an entire arena, including the players themselves.
This is definitely a situation that needs to be monitored seriously, especially with the NBA playoffs on the horizon.
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