The economic effects of the coronavirus in sports are obvious. When games are not played, tickets aren't sold, fans don't fill hotels or use taxis, and stadium and arena workers don't have jobs. With the suspension of the NBA and NHL seasons this week, the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, the delay of the MLB season and much more, thousands of games won't be played as scheduled, and those workers will be without a source of income.
In this time of confusion and worry for many, stars across the sports world are chipping in to help.
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Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson announced Friday on his Instagram page a pledge to "cover the salaries" of all workers at New Orleans' Smoothie King Center, the team's home arena, for the next 30 days. "The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was (d)rafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at Smoothie King Center," Williamson wrote in the post.
Williamson joins fellow NBA stars in pledging support for workers at their local arenas. All of them followed the lead of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who got the ball rolling Wednesday when he said his organization would look into a program to support employees at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love started the player movement Thursday when he pledged $100,000 to the staff at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers followed with a statement saying they would develop "a compensation plan to continue paying our event staff and hourly workforce that is impacted with the changes to our regular event schedule."
"Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations," Love wrote on Instagram. "And the fear and anxiety resulting from the recent outbreak of COVID-19 can be extremely overwhelming. Through the game of basketball, we've been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I'm concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I'm committing $100,000 through the Kevin Love Fund in support of the Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season."
Pistons forward Blake Griffin has reportedly pledged $100,000 to workers at Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit. Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has done the same for workers of Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
It’s bigger than basketball! And during this tough time I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my teammates lives easier. Me and my family pledge to donate $100,000 to the Fiserv Forum staff. We can get through this together! 🙏🏽
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) March 13, 2020
The generosity has extended beyond basketball. In the NHL, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers pledged $100,000 to pay workers at the BB&T Center while events are postponed. His teammates have chipped in to match his donation. Panthers ownership is contributing an undisclosed amount as well.
A lot of unknowns remain surrounding Coronavirus, but Love said he hopes his donation will help ease some of the fear and anxiety. "I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities," he added in his IG post.