CHICAGO (670 The Score) – As concerns mount about the coronavirus outbreak and the sports landscape has begun to be drastically impacted, the Bulls went about their business mostly as usual in a 108-103 win against the Cavaliers on Tuesday evening.
They just know that could change soon.
"If you watch the news at all it can be a little overpowering," Bulls coach Jim Boylen said. "There's a lot coming out. I just saw that other thing on New Rochelle, New York – the National Guard is going there, I think. Those things are, I'm sure when you see that, that's a little bit frightening."
For now, NBA games are continuing with only a few minor disruptions. Many players have stopped or are limiting their autograph signing and physical interactions with fans while also opting for fist bumps over high-fives and hand shakes. Media members have been barred from locker rooms, with coaches and players meeting reporters in a press conference setting with a recommended buffer zone of at least six to eight feet.
Soon, the NBA may feel compelled to take more drastic measures as a precaution against the spread of a virus that has infected more than 800 people and killed at least 29 in the United States, according to the Associated Press. The significant step would be banning fans and all non-essential personnel from games – a contingency plan that the league has asked teams to prepare for – or perhaps postponing/cancelling them altogether.
Earlier Tuesday, the Ivy League cancelled its men's basketball conference tournament. Beyond that, the MAC and Big West announced they were banning fans from attending their men's and women's conference tournaments this week.
The thought of playing in an empty gym was something the Bulls could barely fathom.
"Nah, I haven't, other than going to the Y and hooping," rookie guard Coby White said when asked if has ever played in an empty gym. "It would be interesting if that happens, but regardless, we still have to come out and compete and come out and play."
Teammate Wendell Carter Jr. was less than thrilled to entertain the thought of playing in a quiet arena.
"Honestly, I don't even know if I would be interested in doing that," Carter said. "It's like, what we playing for? You know what I'm saying? No one in there, no one screaming. That makes the atmosphere great. That makes everybody want to play even harder. But it'd feel like we'd just be scrimmaging. I don't like that feeling."
Carter would rather the league postpone games than play them in an empty arena.
"I feel like that'd probably be best, as a league standpoint, from the money side and the players' side," he said. "Players don't just want to play in front of nobody. And with no one in the arena, it's going to mess up a lot of the economic standpoint of the league."
The Bulls had a meeting about the coronavirus issue in Minnesota last Wednesday. At the time, the players didn't have any questions, Boylen said. That has continued to be the case for the most part – everyone is going about their job as usual, simply with a heightened sense of awareness of the present and an understanding that the future could be "weird," as White put it.
"We'll do what's in the best interest of the fans, the players and for you," Boylen said. "We're all a part of this league. As long as it takes to make sure everybody's safe, I think, is the way to do it."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
