As the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread in the United States, NBA teams will shut down all individual team practice facilities on Friday, as first reported by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
While the NBA suspended game operations last week and banned team practices, individual workouts with staff members were still permitted.
But as the infection numbers continue to grow, the NBA is tightening its restrictions even more. Reports earlier this week suggested that league officials are not anticipating a potential resumption of the 2019-20 season until mid-to-late June, with that as a “best-case scenario.”
Teams were informed today in a memo about facilities closing –with players being encouraged to take aggressive measures to continue to avoid contact with others and remain home as much as possible. https://t.co/3OedPb4qFt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 19, 2020
Not only are practice facilities closed to players beginning tomorrow, per today's memo, but they remain prohibited from using public health clubs, fitness centers, gyms, college facilities, or the like. In effect: the NBA's players can't work out anywhere.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 19, 2020
On Monday night, Rockets reserve guard Austin Rivers explained in a live Instagram Q&A that players were working out with staff members at the team’s practice facility inside Toyota Center in Houston.
“They actually sanitized our practice facility, so we get to practice there each day,” said Rivers, who noted that he does not have a home gym to practice in. “Each guy has a 45-minute slot, but it’s like one player per coach. We’re not allowed to practice with each other right now. We’re just having 45-minute workouts and taking it slow.”
Rivers on practicing during the hiatus.#Rockets #OneMission pic.twitter.com/N5gvNhyGBr
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) March 17, 2020
On a radio show the next day, Rockets CEO Tad Brown indicated that marquee players such as James Harden and Eric Gordon were among those regularly coming to Toyota Center for workouts.
#Rockets CEO Tad Brown: "Guys are getting their work in. Guys are listening to the trainers. Guys are listening to the doctors, making sure they've got everything. But you can't stop a guy like James (Harden) or like Russell (Westbrook) or like Eric (Gordon) from playing ball."
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) March 18, 2020
Unfortunately for the Rockets, those types of workouts are what the NBA seemingly feels should be shut down as part of its mitigation strategy. The league is expected to gradually loosen those restrictions once the schedule is closer to a potential resumption.
According to The New York Times, data as of Thursday morning showed 10,197 cases of coronavirus in the United States, including 149 deaths. The total cases have grown by more than five times over the past week.
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