NBA among leagues closing locker rooms. Pat Riley discusses Heat’s approach to coronavirus
The sports world is starting to feel the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
On Monday evening, the NBA, the NHL, MLB and MLS came together to announce that locker room access “will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice.”
The leagues said they made the decision “after consultation with infectious disease and public health experts.”
“Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting,” part of the statement read. “These temporary changes will be effective beginning with tomorrow’s games and practices. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and take any further steps necessary to maintain a safe and welcoming environment.”
Heat president Pat Riley is hopeful more serious measures, like playing in empty arenas, won’t be needed.
“It would be like a summer league game,” Riley said Monday night at the organization’s annual fundraising gala at the Fillmore in Miami Beach. “But until the league says something or something else happens, I doubt that that’s going to happen. But you just have to be prepared.”
With hand sanitizer left on tables throughout the Fillmore, Riley said the Heat is doing its best to stay informed while taking a preventative approach. The team came together last week for a meeting to discuss different precautions players, coaches and staff can take to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’ve had enough discussions about what I think is concerning everybody not only in Florida, but all over the world,” Riley said. “But everything we have done here to take prevention and to be cautious with abundance, we’ve done that. But there are a lot of people that understand that you got to get on with your life. While they are things that are going on, we’re doing that. We’re going to do that tonight. We’re going to have a gala where we have 50 couples that come pretty religiously every year, the season ticket holders.
“As we told our players and also our organization, we’ve had two big meetings about it. It’s all about prevention and be aware. Just prevent, prevent, prevent and be aware. It’s more than washing your hands. But washing your hands and all of that stuff and sanitizing. Common sense and we’re going to be fine.”
NBA medical officials were expected to have a conference call Monday night to discuss the next steps with the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press. Also, NBA officials and team owners are expected to have a conference call Wednesday to discuss the coronavirus outbreak, with the agenda for that call still to be determined because the situation remains fluid.
“Until the league says something else, we are business as usual with a tremendous amount of caution and prevention to make sure everybody is safe,” Riley said.
▪ On the state of the Heat, Riley said: “The state of the team is good. We’ve got a lot of injured guys and they’re mending. So we need to get a full complement. I think when we get our full complement of players, I think we’re going to be even tougher.”
Tyler Herro (right ankle soreness) and Meyers Leonard (sprained left ankle) have each missed the past 15 games with their respective injuries.
▪ As far as Monday night’s gala, it included performances by Dermot Kennedy and rapper Rick Ross. Heat coaches and players were among those at the event, which helps raise funds for the Miami Heat Charitable Fund. More than $15 million has been raised since the event was created in 2006.
“This is one of our first class events. We raise a million dollars or more,” Riley said. “We’ve raised millions over the last 12 years at the gala. ... It’s really important to have these signature events for your season ticket holders and also for your fans. But most importantly, for the players. Players get the significance in this, they like these things and their wives like to get dressed up and come out. We get great support.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 7:51 PM.
