Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum threw his hat in the ring concerning the messaging on the coronavirus epidemic currently derailing his team’s and the NBA’s season with a video directed at potentially disaffected fans.
Joining teammate Jaylen Brown, who made a video cautioning calm after the initial outbreak first began to be seen as a serious threat to normalcy, Tatum sought to calm jangled nerves and let-down expectations on Twitter Friday.
Speaking to fans in a video distributed by the NBA’s own Twitter account, the third-year swingman offered the following short message:
“Hey, this is Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics, [and] I just wanted to say during these times, we all should be looking out for each other, and staying calm, staying safe by taking steps like washing your hands on a regular [basis], staying out of large crowds. If you’re coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth, because these are tough times, but if we get through them together, with prayer, [it will help].”
“I just wanted to say we love our NBA fans, and we’ll be out there soon. Thank you,” he added.
A message from @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/WN4WmXWdK1
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2020
Tatum’s advice largely mirrors that being offered by experts at the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, and his closing line references the 30-day minimum closure for league activities as well.
There has been speculation that the NBA may try to complete the remainder of the season in truncated form or at least the playoffs later in summer if circumstances permit, but for now — like Tatum — all we can do is wait.
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