- Report: Kyrie Irving has been recruiting LeBron James to Dallas Mavericks in hopes of forming Big 3 with Luka Doncic
- Magic Johnson explains how he led Lakers in same way Jimmy Butler currently leads Heat
- Rich Paul offers cryptic response when asked whether he expects LeBron James to return next season
- Report: Kentucky big man among promising draft prospects Lakers worked out on Friday
- Lakers insider speculates Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley won’t be back with Lakers
- Report: Lakers likely to keep No. 17 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
- Lakers insider labels Phil Handy as name to watch for Frank Vogel’s staff on Suns
- Report: Spurs could be dark-horse team that will try to poach Austin Reaves from Lakers
- Report: Lakers plan to match $100M offer sheets on Austin Reaves
- Patrick Beverley says LeBron James won’t retire because he’s ‘chasing some s–t’
LeBron James Clarifies Position on Playing in Front of Fans Amid Coronavirus Concerns
- Updated: March 10, 2020
After sparking controversy over remarks about possibly playing NBA games without fans, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James clarified his remarks and will leave the ultimate decision to officials monitoring the situation.
LeBron James said when initially asked about possibility of playing without fans at games, he wasn’t aware there were talks behind scenes about that possibility. He says while he wants to continue playing in front of fans that if it gets to that he will trust the decision makers.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 10, 2020
The NBA has been discussing possibly having players play games without fans in attendance due to the coronavirus, which has already led to more than two dozen deaths in the United States.
James made his original comments after being asked last week about the prospect of playing before no fans.
“I ain’t playing,” James said. “I ain’t got the fans in the crowd. That’s who I play for. I play for my teammates. I play for the fans. That’s what it’s all about. If I show up to an arena and there are no fans in there, I ain’t playing. They can do what they want to do.”
Across the world, the illness has claimed the lives of thousands of people. That’s led some international leagues to either cancel contests or to play them with no fans to limit the possible transmission of the virus.
At the collegiate level within the United States, some schools have followed that same approach, though the NBA’s plan is seen as a last resort option.
One approach to deal with possible virus transmission that’s been adopted by the NBA, as well as other leagues, has been to ban media from team locker rooms and clubhouses.
The trajectory of the problem remains unknown, but James and the Lakers will look to focus their attention to Tuesday night’s home game against the Brooklyn Nets.
James had been ruled as questionable for the contest, but indicated during the team’s shootaround on Tuesday morning that he will play.
Related Posts
About Brad Sullivan
