How the NBA helps its community during a health crisis

NBA was among the first sports associations to cancel its season due to COVID-19. The league’s announcement regarding the season’s suspension was followed by questions about the welfare of stadium workers and team staff who are usually paid by the hour.

Image source: nbanbcsports.com

Image source: cbssports.com

Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner, led the movement to support stadium workers who will lose their hourly income as a result of the suspension. Following Cuban’s statement, other teams announced their plans to assist their workers as well. Vijaya Prakash Boggala mentions that Cuban’s program to provide for their stadium workers financially inspired other sports associations to follow suit.

According to sports and communications analysts, the NBA is in the position to help and speak out for others, something team owners and players have acknowledged and embodied throughout the years. On top of having programs in place for non-salaried arena workers, NBA and Major League Baseball teams pledged donations to local food banks, emergency food services, disaster relief operations, food banks, hospitals, and other medical institutions. NBA player Jeremy Lin donated $150,000 to UNICEF to aid in the fight against COVID-19, shares Vijaya Prakash Boggala.

Rudy Gobert, the first player in the NBA to test positive for COVID-19, pledged to donate $500,000 to different causes; $200,000 will go to game-day employees, $100,000 to families in Oklahoma affected by the virus, $100,000 to families in Utah for the same reason, and 100,000 euros to France, his native country. Reported or unreported, many NBA stars are helping their communities, and the nation fight COVID-19 in their own ways.

Vijaya Prakash Boggala writes medical abstracts. He also enjoys watching live sports like basketball, tennis, and cricket. Visit this blog for more updates.