- 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.
While they haven’t come to a conclusion, Wojnarowski says that they ‘ re leaning towards continuing games without fans.
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.
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:
New York Knicks: ($) 300 million
Los Angeles Lakers: ($)
Toronto Raptors: ($) . (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
)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings