Feb 10, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before the game against the Miami Heat at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors will be the first NBA team to play a game in an empty arena when they host the Brooklyn Nets Thursday evening at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Local leaders announced a ban of public gatherings of 1,000 or more people on Wednesday after the World Health Organization (WHO) elevated coronavirus to a pandemic.
It’s the first in what will be a lot of decisions the NBA world faces as this pandemic continues to spread across the United States.
As it relates to Warriors players, general manager Bob Myers noted on Wednesday that they are concerned about the team’s upcoming road trip. Specifically, there’s concern over air travel.
Following their game against the Nets on Thursday, the Warriors head off for a five-game road trip that includes stops in five different cities.
It concludes in New York City on March 21 before Golden State heads home on March 25.
The measures San Francisco put in place are in effect until that day.
We will obviously have more updates as the sports world reacts to the growing pandemic around the United States and the globe. For now, it seems players around the NBA are becoming increasingly concerned.