Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has committed US$100,000 to help workers at the team’s arena and members of the support staff affected by the suspension of the NBA season.
The league, which was already considering contingencies for the COVID-19 pandemic, including playing in empty arenas, on Wednesday night suspended play after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
The NHL and Major League Soccer on Thursday followed suit, when Major League Baseball announced that it was postponing the March 26 start of its season.
The dearth of games — not to mention concerts and other events — at arenas around the country would be a big financial blow to the legion of ticket takers, ushers and food vendors who keep the events running, but do not get paid when not working.
“I’m concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I’m committing US$100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season,” Love wrote on Instagram.
“I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities,” Love added. “Pandemics are not just a medical phenomenon. They affect individuals and society on so many levels, with stigma and xenophobia being just two aspects of the impact of a pandemic outbreak... I encourage everyone to take care of themselves and to reach out to others in need — whether that means supporting your local charities that are canceling events, or checking in on your colleagues and family.”
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also touched on the plight of arena workers who are paid an hourly wage, saying that he hoped to formulate a plan to compensate them during the suspension.
The team have come up with a program by which for the next four “would have been” Mavericks games “we’ll pay our employees, our hourly employees, as if they worked,” Cuban told ESPN on Thursday.
The Philadelphia 76ers also issued a statement saying that they are committed to assisting their arena associates and Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler said that he would create a program for workers at the State Farm Arena.
Charlotte Hornets center Cody Zeller vowed to help.
“We all have fun playing and watching NBA games, but many of our hard working hourly employees and support staff depend on wages from our home games,” Zeller wrote on Twitter. “We’re going to make sure that they’re taken care of. Even if I have to pay out of pocket to help out.”
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