As the world wrestles with a replacement normal built around social distancing, performing from home, and a dormant sports world, one aspect of the NBA experience is very in danger. Sitting courtside at an NBA game is unlike the other first row in sports. What is going to become of it post-COVID-19?
One parallel for considering physically protecting fans from the game comes from league Baseball. In response to many incidents during which fans had been hurt by errant balls and bats, MLB announced that each one of its teams would extend protective netting in December 2019. There was significant backlash from fans and media over the in-game experience When teams started expanding netting in 2017, including from Boston Red Sox fan and author Stephen King, who said he felt “terrible” about the extension of the netting at Fenway Park which is made dugout seats want a “cage.”
As it’s now become the norm within baseball, the debate over extending the netting eventually fell off the front page. And people who regularly sit courtside recognize it might heavily impact the in-game experience while the merits of plexiglass are still difficult to assess.
ALSO READ: 6 Things Productive Work-From-Home Employees Do During COVD-19
it being possible to be in on the conversations between celebrities and players is One of the foremost exciting things about the courtside experience.
In a world of social distancing, the NBA’s return will likely have to be a staggered approach. NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently noted that 99% of NBA fans don’t view the sport nose to nose, instead of consuming the merchandise on TV or online. And while the NBA couldn’t have predicted an epidemic putting its season on the ice, it had already been watching ways to bring the sport closer to fans who may never have an opportunity to determine the sport head to head, in addition to courtside. The NBA already had been laying the groundwork for a future that will look very different, From video game capabilities for live games to producing NBA중계 (NBA broadcasts) using smartphones.
The Undefeated reached intent on Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Raptors, for comment, but they declined, saying that the consequences of the virus on the merchandise and fan experience upon return aren’t known at this point.
The only thing guaranteed is that when the NBA does return, it’s not visiting appear as if it did on March 11, the day the games stopped. What will have grown and people favored courtside interactions will almost definitely be absent from the initial wave of games is the space between players and fans, if fans are allowed in any respect. But the impact is probably going to travel well beyond courtside seating.
