LeBron James Changes Statement About Being Against Playing Games Without Fans Due To Coronavirus

LeBron James Changes Statement About Being Against Playing Games Without Fans Due To Coronavirus

Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James seems to have taken time to reflect on his stance with ongoing safety concerns about the COVID-19 virus (a.k.a. Coronavirus) around the NBA. He previously refused to play in a regular-season game without the attendance of NBA fans. LeBron James told reporters earlier this month:

“We play games without the fans? Nah, that’s impossible. I ain’t playing if I ain’t got the fans in the crowd. That’s who I play for. I play for my teammates, and I play for the fans. That’s what it’s all about.”

Fast forward to Tuesday (March 10), LeBron James changed his stance as more professional and college teams have begun to take additional steps to protect against the spread of the virus.

Lebron James

He said after a team practice that he had no idea of the severity of the illness and the safety precautions being made.

“It’s funny because when I was asked the question of ‘Would you play with no fans,’ I had no idea that it was actually a conversation going on behind closed doors about the particular virus. Obviously, I would be very disappointed not having the fans, because that’s what I play for, my family and my fans.”

With the benefit of more information, LeBron James has revised his stance on not playing if fans aren’t allowed and said he’ll listen to experts. Here he also discusses whether the new media rules make him feel safer. pic.twitter.com/1mmgoXLEtE

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) March 10, 2020

He continued,

“But you gotta listen to the people that’s keeping track of what’s going on, and if they feel like it’s best for the safety of the players, safety of the franchise, safety of the league to mandate that, then we all listen to it.”

According to reports, the league circulated a memo to its teams Friday to prepare in case athletes would be forced to play games without spectators, something that some sports leagues in Europe have already done.

With the latest update, COVID-19 has spread to at least 116,000 cases worldwide. While 64,000 people have recovered, more than 4,000 have died, according to reports.

Here is a breakdown of the affected areas in the U.S.:

In addition, many teams have outlined additional safety measures that have been implemented:

• Cleaning staff have been added to each event and are strictly dedicated to wiping down surfaces, along with using hospital-grade disinfectant spray throughout the arena.
• Elevator attendants are equipped with wipe containers and sanitizing elevators regularly.
• All areas of the building, including every seat, are being wiped down and disinfected prior to and following each event.
• Extra soap is available in all restrooms and hand-sanitizer has been placed throughout the arena.
• All doors and door handles are being sanitized regularly.

What are your thoughts on LeBron James’s new remarks? Let us know in the comments!