Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James denounced the possibility of the NBA playing games without fans amid the spread of the coronavirus.
The NBA front office sent a memo to teams directing them to start “developing” contingency plans in the event “it were to become necessary to play a game with only essential staff present,” which would mean fans would not be allowed to attend, according to ESPN.
James addressed the possibility of playing games without fans on Friday night following a 113-103 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
“We play games without the fans?” James stated. “I ain’t playing. 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.”
The coronavirus has infected more than 100,000 globally and has led to more than 3,400 deaths.
