Miami Heat meets to discuss coronavirus: ‘We need to be careful.’
Just hours after defeating the team with the NBA’s top record, the Miami Heat came together for a light practice and an important meeting Tuesday afternoon.
The Heat met as a team to discuss different precautions players, coaches and staff can take to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within the organization. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Florida’s first two cases of coronavirus this week.
“That’s another reason why we came in today. We met about it,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said following Tuesday’s practice. “We watched a film about it. We tried to provide some more education and awareness, just that this is real. And we have to be more diligent about our cleanliness, washing our hands.”
According to a memo to NBA teams obtained by ESPN, among the league’s recommendations is for players to use first bumps over high-fives with fans and avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys to autograph. An NBA player who contracted the coronavirus would expect to miss two weeks, one team medical official told ESPN.
“I mean, it is scary,” Heat guard Goran Dragic said. “... Maybe it’s not going to be the same as in the past, when you signed autographs and high-fived the fans. Maybe that’s going to be a little bit less on our part. And the fans, they need to understand that. Yeah, wash your hands, try not to touch your face and try to stay away from the crowd. Prevention, washing your hands, I think is going to be huge. Yeah, it’s not ideal. But, you know, we need to be careful.”
Heat big man Kelly Olynyk said: “You’ve just got to control what you can control. Obviously wash your hands, keep out of large, germ-spreading areas as much as possible But, no, it’s tough when that kind of stuff happens. It kind of just reminds me of when I was a kid. SARS was a huge epidemic up in Canada. I’m not sure what it was like down here. But you just got to do what you can, keep clean, wash your hands. If people are sick, stay away and control what you can control.”
But Heat wing Jimmy Butler said he’s going to keep operating as usual when it comes to fan interaction.
“Fans are fans,” Butler said. “They’re going to be there to show love and support. I think I’m going to keep it the way I always keep it. Dap people up, high-five. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be, I guess. ... You can’t control everything. I guess you can try to control as much as you can. But I’m just going to keep being who I am. The happy, joyful person that I am. I love my fans, man. They’re always coming out there to support. I’m going to still be me.”
The Heat is working closely with the NBA on managing the coronavirus scare, and a team spokesperson deferred to a statement from the league when asked if anything is being done as a precaution.
“The health and safety of our employees, teams, players and fans is paramount,” the NBA said in a statement. “We are coordinating with our teams and consulting with the CDC and infectious disease specialists on the coronavirus, and continue to monitor the situation closely.”
As of now, the coronavirus has not led to any major changes at AmericanAirlines Arena. But fans are being encouraged to use common-sense practices to avoid germs like washing hands regularly.
“It’s probably not a great thing right now, just in terms of human interaction,” Spoelstra said. “There could be less people like slapping high fives and interacting with fans and things like that. That’s the part that’s a bummer. But we do have to be, certainly, very mindful about it and then continue to educate. This is just one meeting. I don’t think this is going to stop with just today.”
HERRO UPDATE
Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro missed his 12th consecutive game Monday due to right ankle soreness. Spoelstra said Herro has been doing more on the court, but he will remain out for Wednesday’s home matchup against the Orlando Magic and there is still no definitive timetable for his return.
“He certainly has been doing more and he’s chomping at the bit,” Spoelstra said of Herro. “I know how much he wants to get back out there. We just want to make sure that he’s fully 100 percent when he does come back so he doesn’t have to take any steps back.”
Heat center Meyers Leonard will also miss his 13th consecutive game Wednesday as he continues to recover from a sprained left ankle.
This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 3:05 PM.
