The Golden State Warriors unveiled a plan aimed at reopening the Chase Center to 50 percent of their capacity for the 2020-21 NBA season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposal presents evidence that the team owner, Joe Lacob, believes it will allow spectators to return to the team’s 18,064-seat venue in San Francisco.
Lacob added that empty arenas threaten the NBA as a business.
“I don’t just want to do this and show the world how we can do it now, I’m willing to spend the money to do it,” he said. Lacob.
He indicated that “this is a serious problem. It cannot continue for several years, because if this continued for several years, the NBA would no longer exist.”
“You can’t sustain this league without fans. You can do it for a year. We’ll all get by for a year. But suppose we are in this same situation next year. Now we are talking about serious, very serious financial damage, “he said.
Lacob added: “Let’s demonstrate the concept. Let’s use our money, our resources, our seven or eight months of work, our experience to test the concept. That is what I am trying to achieve for the state, the city and the government.”
The NBA and its players agreed to a 72-game regular season, down from the usual 82-game schedule, and a start date for December 22 for the 2020-21 campaign. The 2019-20 season closed in March due to the coronavirus before resuming behind closed doors in the Orlando “bubble” in July. The Lakers won the championship in October.
