Coronavirus and the NBA: Owners Favor Fan Ban or Hiatus From Games

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks are playing here in front of their fans tonight here at the AAC. But this might be the last time for a while.

The NBA Board of Governors have reportedly decided to "either continue the season with no fans in arenas, or have the league take a hiatus for a period time.''

That decision could be made as early as Thursday. For now, owner Mark Cuban's Mavs will play tonight against the visiting Denver Nuggets with some temporary precautions.

"Bottom line,'' Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells DallasBasketball.com's Dalton Trigg, "we will put the safety of our fans and customers first.”

The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus known as COVID-19 a "global pandemic,'' and the NBA is responding.

The Mavs play at home tonight at the AAC against the Denver Nuggets. Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors have announced that their Thursday game against the Nets ... will be played - but with no fans in the arena.

“As of now, that isn't the case (for the Mavs),'' Cuban tells DBcom. "Right now, we are only asking the elderly and anyone with a compromised immunity system to not attend. We will also have the ACC fully stocked with sanitizers so people can clean up as often as they need to.

"If that changes,'' Cuban said, "we will of course let everyone know.''

It seems as if it is about to change. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said in his pregame visit with the media - separated from the throng - that he hoped it doesn't come to that, and said the decisions so far in Dallas have been "proactive.''

But various sports leagues have hit the accelerator here. The NFL has no present plans to alter its scheduled NFL Draft on April 23-25 in Las Vegas. But member teams - including the Dallas Cowboys - are working to stay on top of the issue and react accordingly.

One source from inside The Star tells CowboysSI.com that the medical staff has emphasized "hygiene, as always.'' We're also told that the Cowboys medical staff is well-versed in treatment for MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and is similarly prepared to deal with this coronavirus.

Additionally, the Cowboys (along with the NFL) work closely with Duke University and DICON (Duke Infection Control Outreach Network) to stay informed.

Another team source says there has been no notable change in players' offseason attendance at The Star.

"Our numbers are always high,'' the source said in regard to attendance, "and this year is as high or better than ever.''

Meanwhile, a Cowboys source tells us that while other teams are reportedly cutting back on scouting department travel in preparation for the NFL Draft, Dallas is not among those teams.

"Business as usual,'' he said.

Some cities, states and regions have begun cancelling or limiting social events due to the virus. In Seattle, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, the governor of Washington state is announcing a ban on public assemblages of 250 or more people. A similar mass-group ban is happening in Santa Clara County, California. Many teams in Europe have temporarily shut down play. already has locked down professional sports. MLB's Texas Rangers are scheduled to open in Seattle and those plans may change. The NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS have limited access to their locker rooms, and at tonight's Mavs game, media access will be limited.Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors have announced that their Thursday game against the Nets ... will be played - but with no fans in the arena.

Lol .@delonwright with THE AWESOME RESPONSE after being asked if he’ll miss media in the locker room due to temporary #coronavirus restrictions: “Y’all don’t talk to me anyway.” 😂😂 #MFFL #Mavs #loveit pic.twitter.com/PUf613MFcG
— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) March 11, 2020

Cuban said "if that changes,'' we'll know about it. It seems that's about to occur.

Add us as a preferred source on Google