Los Angeles Lakers All-Star responding to NBA memo telling teams to be prepared to play games without fans or media
Saturday 7 March 2020 17:01, UK
LeBron James says he would refuse to take part if Los Angeles Lakers games were played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA told its teams on Friday that they should be developing processes in case it becomes necessary to play games without fans or media because of the coronavirus.
"We play games without the fans? No, that's impossible," said James, after his Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks at the Staples Centre on Friday night.
"I play for my team-mates, I play for the fans, that's what it's all about.
"I ain't playing if I ain't got the fans in the crowd - that's who I play for. If I turn up to an arena and there ain't no fans in there, I ain't playing.
"They can do what they want to do."
The league sent a memo detailing potential actions teams could need to take if it were to become necessary to play a game with only essential staff present.
The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, says teams should identify which team and arena people would be necessary to conduct games, and be able to communicate quickly with non-essential staff, as well as ticket holders and corporate partners.
Teams should also be prepared for the possibility of implementing temperature checks on players, team staff, referees, and anyone else who is essential to conducting such a game in the teams arena.
Contents of the memo were first reported by The Athletic.
The letter also says teams should plan for scenarios in which media could attend games under revised media policies.
The league had already sent a memo to teams this week offering 10 recommendations to players with hopes of decreasing risks of getting the virus among them, not taking items such as pens, markers, balls and jerseys from autograph seekers.
