Sixers' Josh Harris Plans to Take Care of Arena Workers During NBA Hiatus

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Right now, the NBA has found itself in a bad spot. With the coronavirus spreading around the country, two players ended up testing positive for COVID-19 over the last couple of days.

Once the results indicated players were directly affected, the league closed its doors for the time being. Now, along with pretty much every other professional and amateur sports league out there, the NBA is officially suspended and on a hiatus.

When will pro basketball in the United States make its return? The answer is unknown. As the country attempts to find a solution, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is waiting to see how everything plays out. At this time, though, it has been confirmed the league is going to be shut down for at least a month.

All entertainment aspects aside, the hiatus had many worried for the arena workers who get paid hourly on game days. Without the league in play, Wells Fargo Center employees are not going to have any Sixers games to work for at least the next 30 days.

That question wasn't limited to just the Sixers' staff, though. The issue loomed all around the NBA too. Thankfully, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban started a fantastic trend. When asked about the situation, the Mavs' owner said he would figure out a way to make sure those arena workers get paid.

And because of his idea, NBA owners and players are following up. In Cleveland, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Detroit, franchise star players decided to pledge money to contribute. In Philadelphia, however, Sixers' managing partner Josh Harris looked out for his own. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark, Josh Harris, and partner, David Blitzer, will pay their staff for the postponed games.

“In this time of need, we need to band together and take care of people,” Harris said, in a statement on Thursday. “Our teams, our cities and the leagues in which we operate are a family, and we are committed to looking out for one another.” Many questioned whether Harris and the Sixers would continue Cuban's trend or not in Philly, and the organization delivered.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_