The coronavirus pandemic is expected to continue into the 2020-21 NBA season, with one top executive indicating that the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks could be severely impacted because of the potentially steep drop in revenue from a lack of fans in the stands.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps noted that while each NBA team figures to take a financial hit, one unnamed executive sees the Lakers and Knicks as two teams that could be hit hardest.
That’s due in part to both teams having generated massive profits in past years.
“The Lakers and the Knicks may not have any fans, suites or anything,” an Eastern Conference team president said. “The revenue to be shared may not be there. There could be some fighting.”
Both New York and California are states that have been hit hard by a virus that has already killed over 130,000 people in the United States.
In the case of California, a new surge in cases of the highly contagious virus has caused more havoc regarding the idea of fans attending sporting events in the near future.
The NBA is still attempting to figure out how the different rules among states where teams play will end up affecting a vital area such as revenue sharing.
While the Lakers’ players and coaches are currently focused on trying to win the NBA title for the 2019-20 season, the team’s front office has to take into account every potential scenario for next season.
None of the visions appear to be positive ones right now, but finding a way to get through this unprecedented crisis will continue to be on the mind of the Lakers’ front office in the weeks and months ahead.
