The NBA joined the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer on Monday evening in officially cutting back locker room access to only include players, staff and “essential personnel.” As a result, players will still talk to the media but will do so in designated sections or podiums, much like they do for the playoffs in the NBA.
The NBA released the following joint statement with the other three leagues.
Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL) today issued the following joint statement:
“After consultation with infectious disease and public health experts, and given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice. Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting. These temporary changes will be effective beginning with tomorrow’s games and practices.
“We will continue to closely monitor this situation and take any further steps necessary to maintain a safe and welcoming environment.”
Sports leagues in Italy, where the outbreak of Coronavirus has been particularly severe, have elected to play games in empty stadiums. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has already said that he would prefer to not play if there were no fans in the stadium.
