Basketball: NBA mulls moving games due to coronavirus - report

The NBA reportedly is also considering playing in empty arenas or even suspending game operation for a period of time in lieu of the virus. PHOTO: AFP

(REUTERS) - The National Basketball Association (NBA) is entertaining the option of moving games to cities that have yet to suffer outbreaks of the coronavirus, ESPN reported on Wednesday morning.

This is one of the options in play for the NBA as the league's board of governors plans to speak with the commissioner's office on Wednesday on a conference call.

Team presidents and general managers are expected to participate in conference calls on Thursday, ESPN reported.

The NBA reportedly is also considering playing in empty arenas or even suspending game operation for a period of time in lieu of the virus.

CNN reported on Wednesday morning that the novel coronavirus has infected more than 115,800 people - including at least 1,000 in the United States - and killed over 4,200 worldwide.

The NBA's new locker room policy bans media from entering.

Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer enacted the same policy.

On Friday, the NBA reportedly sent a memo to teams telling them to begin "developing" plans in case "it were to become necessary to play a game with only essential staff present".

Earlier last week, the NBA advised players to limit contact with fans out of concern over the outbreak, recommending players use fist bumps instead of high-fives with fans and avoid handling anything passed to them by fans, such as pens and jerseys.

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