NBA stars, owners pledge donations
for workers furloughed by coronavirus shutdown
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[March 14, 2020]
By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the bright lights of professional sports go
dark across the United States this week, some top names from the NBA
were pitching in to ease the burden for arena and stadium staff
facing the grim possibility of weeks without pay in the coronavirus
shutdown.
The basketball league announced Wednesday that it was indefinitely
suspending its season in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, upending
daily life for thousands of concession employees, ushers and
custodians who rely on games for a paycheck.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love announced he was donating
$100,000 to his team's arena support staff and called on others to
make similar gestures.
"I'm concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling,"
Love wrote in an Instagram post.
Pistons forward Blake Griffin followed up, writing on Twitter that
he was "just following suit." He did not elaborate but media outlets
reported that he would donate $100,000 to staff at Detroit's Little
Caesars Arena.
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New Orleans Pelicans star rookie Zion Williamson said on Instagram
that he would cover salaries for all workers at the Smoothie King
Center for 30 days.
"This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation
for these wonderful people who have been so great to me," Williamson
wrote.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the top scorers in
the league, said on Friday that he and his family planned to donate
$100,000 to staff members at the Fiserv Forum.
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![](../images/031420pics/basketball%20in%20story_small.jpg)
New Orleans Pelicans
forward Zion Williamson (1) warms up before the game against the
Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey
Becker-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
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"It's bigger than basketball!" Antetokounmpo wrote on Twitter. "I
want to help the people that make my life, my family's lives and my
teammates lives easier."
Team owners have begun their own gestures as well.
The Cleveland Cavaliers said on Twitter that they would pay hourly
and event staff members at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while Dallas
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN that he would make sure hourly
workers would be compensated.
Alibaba co-founder and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai wrote on Twitter
that he was also working on a plan regarding non-salaried employees.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery; additional reporting by Rory Carroll and
Gene Cherry; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
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