As has been the case over the past several weeks, growing fears over coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken center stage around the sports world on Wednesday.
On the very same day that the World Health Organization (WHO) officially classified the virus as a pandemic, it was announced that the NBA’s Golden State Warriors will host the Brooklyn Nets in San Francisco Thursday night inside an empty Chase Center.
It is one of several steps that have been taken by local authorities around the United States to help contain coronavirus as much as possible.
Now comes this piece of information from Sam Amick of The Athletic indicating that the NBA is seriously considering delaying the remainder of its season.
“Sources say the league is still considering more sensible options as well, among them the prospect of pushing its entire calendar back,” the NBA insider reported. “The NBA has been asking teams to provide its arena schedule through July, which is as clear a sign as any that the notion of putting everything on hold for a while so the authorities can attempt to contain the virus remains in play.”
This piece of information comes on the very same day that the collegiate governing body of the NCAA announced that both its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would be played without an audience.
As it relates to the NBA, there’s absolutely no reason for the Association to risk infecting its players and employees as well as fans at this time. Rarely does the WHO designate a virus a pandemic. It’s a drastic measure that impacts the entirety of the world.
Sports will now have to take a back seat. Whether that means delaying the NBA season for a month or so is the answer remains to be seen.
The latest estimates indicate that 1,000-plus people in the United States have been infected with coronavirus, resulting in north of 30 deaths.