As the sports world continues to evaluate how best to handle the growing COVID-19 outbreak, the NBA is considering moving games out of cities most impacted by the virus, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday night.
Two options for moving games are being considered, according to Wojnarowski, including having the road team host a game if that city hasn’t been impacted or to play games at neutral NBA sites. Additionally, playing games without fans or cancelling games all together have not been ruled out.
However, Wojnarowski adds, the “limited amount of public testing for the coronavirus in the United States,” has made it complicated to determine how at-risk people are in various cities.
The NBA’s board of governors is expected to hold a conference call Wednesday to determine next steps. As of early Wednesday, no NBA games had been moved, rescheduled or cancelled, although the city of San Francisco has reportedly urged the Golden State Warriors to do just that. The Warriors hosted the Los Angeles Clippers Tuesday night and have a home game scheduled against the Brooklyn Nets Thursday before hitting the road for five games.
“I have personally spoken to the head of the Warriors organization, Rick Welts,” said city Supervisor Aaron Peskin, according to Mission Local. “I have expressed my desire that they do this voluntarily before, in the days ahead, we do it as an emergency public health order. It’s not a matter of ‘if.’ It’s a matter of ‘when.’ I hope they come to that conclusion before we make them come to that conclusion.”
In nearby Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco, the San Jose Sharks are assessing alternate solutions to some upcoming home games after the county banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people until the end of March. The Sharks have three home games in that window.
“We will be reviewing each scheduled event due to take place for the rest of the month and provide an update in the coming days,” the team said in a statement Monday. “We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans, guests and partners during this unprecedented time.”
In Toronto, the Raptors have yet to announce any changes to their schedule, but Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment released a statement Tuesday saying the organization will continue to monitor the situation and that it has increased “the frequency and the rigor of our cleaning and sanitary procedures before and after every event.”
As of Wednesday morning, The New York Times reports that at least 1,015 people have tested positive for the disease in the United States, including 178 in California. The Toronto Star reports there have been at least 93 cases in Canada as of Tuesday.
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