LeBron James Says He Won't Play If Fans Are Banned Because Of Coronavirus
The NBA has reportedly considered playing games without fans because of the coronavirus health scare.
If that happened, one of the league's biggest stars wouldn't play.
“We play games without the fans? That’s impossible. I ain’t playing,” LeBron James said Friday after the Lakers' 113-103 win over Milwaukee. “If I show up to an arena and there are no fans in there, I ain’t playing.”
The Lakers met with their team doctor on Saturday to learn how to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Just educating our guys,” Lakers' coach Frank Vogel said Saturday. “We did have a meeting with our team doctor. It was common sense-type stuff. Wash your hands, avoid contact with others. But we did have the meeting to educate our guys.”
Asked about the coronavirus and what should be done concerning fans and games, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he's not sure.
“I don’t know what to do," Rivers said Sunday before the Clippers hosted the Lakers. "I’m not smart enough. I’m not educated enough to actually know what we should do. I am smart enough to know I should just listen. If they tell me not to show, I’m not showing. There’s a reason for that. There’s pretty smart people that are making that decision. If they tell us we can play, you have to have blind trust and faith and hopefully they get it right. That’s all you can say about it, really.”
The coronavirus heath scare continues to cause changes in the sports world.
On Sunday, the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus and a confirmed new case in Riverside County. It was set to begin Monday.
Italy's top soccer league, Serie A, is playing games without fans and they won’t be able to attend those games until April 3 at the earliest.
The 2020 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus heath scare.
The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) issued a statement saying media members could not enter the clubhouse if they have traveled to a high-risk area in the previous 14 days. The release also said MLB is consulting other sports leagues about possible changes.
The NBA playoffs begin on April 18, which is more than one month away.
James isn't the only NBA player who is against the possible idea of playing games without fans if the situation worsens.
Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker also weighed in, telling reporters “that would be terrible” and that he would rather teams not play at all than in an empty arena.
