The NBA sent a memo to all 30 teams alerting them to prepare for games without fan spectatorship.
The league is looking to respond to the panic over COVID-19 or the coronavirus by playing official games without fans or the media in attendance according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium and Marc Stein of the New York Times. This follows a USA Today report which stated:
“Multiple NBA team executives have considered playing behind closed doors but only as a last-resort contingency plan. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.”
The NBA wouldn’t be alone in taking such measures. SXSW was canceled in addition to a suspended season for the Chinese Basketball Association and canceled sporting events in Italy and South Korea.