NBA might play games with no fans in the arena, due to the coronavirus

[FireDavidKahn]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
Sources: The NBA has sent a memo to its franchises explaining that, due to coronavirus outbreak, teams should be preparing to play games without fans in attendance and identifying “essential staff” present for these games -- should it be necessary.

[Celtics 1825]

Can you imagine how trash the playoffs would be without fans there? Wtf

[FKAri]

Can you imagine how trash the playoffs would be without fans there? Wtf

TV broadcasts with a laugh track. I'd be even more interested in the playoffs if that were to happen.

[bigkingsfan]

They could also reduce traveling by playing in the same state with different arenas.

[jstern]

Walk on Water was actually right. Can you believe that?

[DoctorP]

Walk on Water was actually right. Can you believe that?

he's jesus

[highwhey]

wow, I called this!

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...irus-spreading

[Stanley Kobrick]

wow, I called this!

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...irus-spreading

good call

[highwhey]

good call

[jstern]

For the record Walk on Water called it, then highwey copied it and made a thread trying to make fun of Walk on Water. But damn, Walk on Water is the man. We need to give him a like.

[Docs Orders]

wow, I called this!

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...irus-spreading

DAMN!

[Stanley Kobrick]

[MrFonzworth]

wow, I called this!

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...irus-spreading

[PCCM_29]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...i-aint-playing

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ronavirus-memo

Sounds like a last resort contingency plan but this would be devastating to the league, the season, the players, the fans, the growth of the game, everything. Lebron says he won't play if there are no games, I can't imagine the deadpan quiet of an arena in a 'what is supposed to be' a high-intensity game, it would just be bizarro world

I'm a pulmonary doc by day, and here's my two cents on the whole thing...

Based on the latest reports from South Korea who have been testing aggressively, they're found ~6000 cases with ~40 deaths, putting it at a mortality rate of ~0.6%, which is not that different from the regular old flu (~0.1%). World wide the mortality is ~3.4%, but this likely reflects testing being done only in the sickest patients. If we test most with any symptoms (like we do for influenza), the denominator goes up, while the numerator stays the same = the mortality rate drops

So I understand the hysteria but most people in our field think this is a horrible virus that's spreading but it's not dooms day. Balancing between halting its spread and not letting it significantly alter our way of life is tough but I would hate to see fans banned from games, right as we're heading into ACT IV of the season

[FKAri]

What are your thoughts on this having no vaccination of even mild effectiveness (like the flu does) as well as the lack of any mutation history or knowledge of its strains?