If you’re reading this, you know what’s going on. The NBA has suspended games for a period of at least 30 days and maybe longer. A member of Jazz tested positive for COVID-19, and then another did. Games that were once set to be played were cancelled, and then the entire league shut down.
The rest of the sports world has followed suit. NCAA conference tournaments and the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Tournament are all cancelled. Other pro sports leagues are postponing or cancelling games and events. Even E-Sports are being impacted. The world is grinding to a halt.
I have varying feelings on all this, but my first reaction is not as a fan, but as a person with a family, friends, and colleagues. I worry about them and myself. About people getting sick. About people not being able to combat being sick well enough and what happens to them. I’ve experienced that type of thing in the last few years…I don’t wish it on anyone.
I worry about the implications of the world coming to a standstill and the impact that will have on people mentally, emotionally…economically. As the dominoes continue to fall, few will be exempt from the tremors that come after. With that, be safe out there. But also be kind to each other, be patient, be understanding. As the world slows down, everyone’s anxiety will speed up.
There will be time to talk basketball another day. I’ll continue to try to post here at this site, not only with updates about what’s happening with the current Lakers as they try to navigate a global pandemic and its reach into their world, but about Lakers from our past. The players who gave us great joy, the Lakers who pissed us off, the Lakers who have their jerseys hanging in a now empty Staples Center.
We’ll see you again in this space soon. Take good care of yourself and your loved ones.