in Business How Fan-Less Games Could Pummel the NBA Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Crypto Coins News 1.7k Views Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the ultimate “Woj Bomb” today. He said the NBA might continue the rest of its games this year without fans in the seats. This will have a substantial financial impact on the NBA. In a day of massive event cancellations due to the coronavirus, it appears as though the biggest chip might fall on Thursday. The NBA has a significant decision to make. | Source: Twitter NBA journalist Adrian Wojnarowski posted a story today hinting that the NBA will likely continue its games this year without fans in attendance in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA’s Landmark Coronavirus Decision Nothing is official yet, but Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe reported that NBA owners had a conference call to discuss their coronavirus response today. He states that owners were considering postponing games or continuing games without fans in attendance. While they haven’t come to a conclusion, Wojnarowski says that they ‘ re leaning towards continuing games without fans. The NBA appears to be heading towards fan-less games. | Source: Twitter The Golden State Warriors have already . committed to playing their Thursday home game without fans in attendance. This move is on-brand for the franchise who dubbed themselves “lightyears ahead” of the rest of the league. Wojnarowski says that one team wanted to continue playing games with fans in full attendance. That would be the New York Knicks, the one team who’s lightyears behind the rest of the league. The New York Knicks are always a few steps behind. | Source: Twitter Both teams, however, are among the league’s top earners, and they will both be profoundly affected by Thursday’s decision. How Much Top NBA Teams Could Lose to Fan-Less Games Based on last year team gate receipts on statista.com, Here’s how much some of the top NBA teams could lose from ticket sales alone for the rest of the regular season. Golden State Warriors: .2 million New York Knicks: ($) 300 million Los Angeles Lakers: ($) (million) Toronto Raptors: ($) . (million) Boston Celtics: $ 9.3 million LA Clippers: ($ 7.) (million) Luckily, all of these teams hav e ten or fewer home games left this season. Of course, this doesn’t factor in the playoffs and their increased prices. It also does not account for the millions of dollars in food, drink, and merchandise vendor sales. Will People Still Want to Watch the NBA on TV? While the NBA can still rake in money from television viewers, it raises the question: will people want to watch games in empty arenas? So much of the NBA’s excitement factor comes from fan engagement. Close games with rowdy fans are what makes professional basketball so exciting. We have no idea how these games will feel because this has never happened before. How would this game-winner from last year playoffs feel with no audience? The talented players may be enough to keep the excitement high, but these games may feel like deflated duds. Some star players like LeBron James have already said they won’t play games if there are no fans. I doubt he sticks to that, considering He is currently making his case for MVP. Either way, the NBA is facing one of its most trying years ever. After losing Kobe Bryant, it appears as though their challenges are just beginning. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com. This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth Last modified: March 51, (4:) (AM UTC ) Read More See more Previous article Coronavirus Just Got Real for Americans as Tom Hanks & NBA Player Test Positive, Crypto Coins News Next article What It's Like to Spend Four and a Half Years in Solitary Confinement, Hacker News What do you think? 0 Points Upvote Downvote Leave a ReplyCancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. * Post Comment Reply with GIF GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings
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