Fans will not be permitted to sit on the apron of the court, where celebrities are often spottedNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The NBA yesterday distributed a four-page memo to team presidents, GMs and arena directors on "safety guidelines for admitting fans -- providing those guidelines meet state regulations," and it "indicated fan admittance may only be applicable to 'some teams,'" according to Marc Berman of the N.Y. POST. The memo said that fans "won't be permitted to sit 'on the apron' of the court." There "will be no 'Celebrity Row'" at MSG, for example. Fans also "must be seated 15 feet behind either the team bench or 10 feet from the court sideline if the seat is not by the bench" (N.Y. POST, 11/12). However, ESPN's Zach Lowe noted the virus is "going to dictate what the next memo is and what the next rules are.” Lowe: “The story is going to change every day, and this just underscores the fact that this season is going to be very strange and very weird. You just have to cross your fingers that it’s also very safe because we’re out of the bubble now.” Meanwhile, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins noted he attends high school football games in Texas and that they are “packed.” Perkins: "I know the rules are there for a reason, and rightfully so, but at some point the NBA is going to find a way to get back to normalization and they’re going to have fans in the gym. I think they just got to make sure or do the best of their ability” (“The Jump,” ESPN, 11/11).
NO FANS IN L.A.: In California, Kyle Goon reports when the NBA season starts on Dec. 22, there will be "no fans at Staples Center in accordance with state and local health guidelines." While that "doesn't come as a surprise in California, which has been slow to lift restrictions on gatherings as new cases have risen again in the last month, it's a continuing struggle to return to normal for professional sports in the region." The Lakers yesterday officially announced that they "would begin the season without fans 'until further notice'" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 11/12).
