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 (S)moothie 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 Caesars 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
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin is also helping out on a global scale. On Thursday, he personally donated $150,000 to fight the coronavirus in China, in addition to having his foundation match that donation to purchase medical equipment for Wuhan, the province where the virus is believed to have originated. Lin was playing in the Chinese Basketball Association before the league suspended its season. He saw "news headlines of racism, xenophobia, attacks on Asians and decaying trust towards people," and that pushed him to donate, he told TMZ Sports.
On Friday, Lin announced on Instagram that he donated an additional $150,000 to UNICEF USA, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that supports the United Nations Children's Fund.
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. In baseball, George Springer of the Astros donated $100,000 to help employees at Minute Maid Park in Houston, and Trevor Bauer set up a GoFundMe page to help MLB game day staff. In the NFL, Falcons owner Arthur Blank has "pledged to continue paying hourly employees who work for each of the businesses he owns," according to The Athletic.
A lot of unknowns remain surrounding the 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.
NBA teams and players that have pledged money to arena workers
Bucks: Antetokounmpo donated $100,000 and the Bucks soon followed with a matching donation.
Cavaliers: Love was the first player to pledge a donation to help staff members at local NBA arenas. The Cavs said they are working on a plan to compensate workers "as if every game and every event is still taking place."
Clippers and Lakers: The teams that play in Staples Center are working on a joint plan to compensate workers, according to the Orange County Register.
Grizzlies: Team owner Robert Pera is compensating all "game night employees for any games missed through the end of the year," according to The Daily Memphian.
Hawks: Team owner Tony Ressler said he will implement a plan to make sure employees of State Farm Arena are paid, according to Sports Illustrated.]
Jazz: Rudy Gobert, who was the first known NBA player infected with coronavirus, "is donating more than $500,000 to support both the employee relief fund at Vivint Smart Home Arena and COVID-related social services relief in Utah, Oklahoma City and within the French health care system," according to the Utah Jazz.
Kings: The team announced this on its website: "All part-time, hourly Kings event team members will be compensated for the shifts they were previously scheduled to work in March.”
Knicks: "MSG Co. workers are continuing to get paid in the short-term and the company is working on what their long-term plan will be," according to The Athletic.
Mavericks: The team announced on Twitter that it is "currently making arrangements to ensure that scheduled event staff will receive payment for the six home games that were to take place during the 30-day NBA hiatus."
Nets: Team owner Joe Tsai said on Twitter the team is "working on a plan" in response to guard Spencer Dinwiddie's tweet regarding paying arena staff.
Pacers: Team owner Herb Simon has given financial aid to the part-time workers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, according to The Athletic.
Pelicans: Williamson pledged to pay the salaries of staff employees for the next 30 days. The Pelicans followed up with a statement that read, in part, "While it is a bit more complicated being that the Pelicans are simply the tenant of the building, the giving and helping this community in a time of need by (owner) Mrs. (Gayle) Benson and her organizations is unquestioned."
Pistons: Griffin pledged $100,000 to the staff at Little Caesars Arena.
Raptors: The group that owns the Raptors and other pro sports clubs in Toronto, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, says it is trying to help 4,000 workers in that city, according to SI.
Rockets: CEO Tad Brown said the team is working on a plan to help compensate Toyota Center employees, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Suns: The team announced on its website that all part-time employees of Talking Stick Resort Arena "will receive financial compensation for the six remaining scheduled Suns home games and concerts and shows that have been canceled in March."
Warriors: The team announced on Twitter that the organization has "pledged to donate $1 million to a disaster relief fund established by the Warriors Community Foundation."
Wizards: Ted Leonsis, who owns the Wizards and Capitals, told arena staff that they will be paid through March 31 for any games or events they were scheduled to work, according to The Athletic.
76ers: The workers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia will be compensated for the postponed NBA games, according to NBCS Philadelphia.