Sports World: No home support for Thunder's NBA start

No home support for Thunder's NBA start

LOS ANGELES • The Oklahoma City Thunder will not have fans in attendance for their home games when the National Basketball Association season begins, the team announced on Monday.

The decision came three weeks after the team expected to have protocols to allow reduced seating at the Chesapeake Energy Centre, which normally holds just over 18,000.

The Thunder have since reviewed their plans and said they want to exercise "an abundance of caution" to help control the spread of the virus.

REUTERS

Former Warriors centre Bogut retires

MELBOURNE • Andrew Bogut called time on his career yesterday, leaving Australia without its most experienced basketball player ahead of next year's Tokyo Olympics.

The 36-year-old centre announced his decision on his podcast "Rogues Bogues", citing a growing toll of injuries on his body.

Bogut, who won a National Basketball Association championship with Golden State in 2015, played his last game for the Sydney Kings in March before the National Basketball League finals series was called off due to Covid-19.

REUTERS

Pumas skipper sacked for racist tweet

SYDNEY • Argentina's Pablo Matera said he was "deeply ashamed" yesterday after he was stripped of the rugby captaincy and suspended along with two other players over racist tweets.

Just weeks after the Pumas' first win over the mighty All Blacks, the Argentina Rugby Union suspended Matera, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino.

In the tweets, since deleted, Matera disparaged Bolivian and Paraguayan domestic workers with racial stereotypes.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 02, 2020, with the headline Sports World: No home support for Thunder's NBA start. Subscribe