Thursday's NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets will be played at the Chase Center with no fans in attendance because of the coronavirus outbreak.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement on Wednesday regarding the coronavirus:
“We are closely monitoring developments to determine the appropriate course for future Warriors home games & will continue to work w/local governments, the CDC & public health experts to protect the health of our fans, players, coaches & staff in NBA markets across the country”
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) March 11, 2020
The NBA is limiting locker room access to only player and essential team personnel in response to the coronavirus. Teams have been 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 moving forward, just like the Warriors and Nets will do on Thursday. Teams have also been asked to identify “essential staff” to be present for such games if the need arises on a full-time basis.
Soccer and basketball games in Europe have been played without fans in recent weeks. 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 since the NBA Draft and Summer League are coming up this summer.
It's going to be so strange for fans to watch Thursday's game on TV with no one in the stadium. It's going to be interesting to see how the Warriors and Nets players react.
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