If we do need to answer this question, it’s actually not easy. Are our professional star athletes playing out there for themselves? Or for us, their devoted fans? At the end of the day, the answer is actually: both. They’re playing for the love of sports, and that’s a love that the players and the fans both share.
In other words, without the fans, there’s not much left for sports. At least on the professional level. At least if you ask LeBron James.
LeBron Got Emotional on Twitter
Last week, the NBA announced to its teams that due to widespread concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, they might prohibit fans from attending official games or visiting basketball stadiums at all for the foreseeable future. James’ first response?
“If I show up to an arena and ain’t no fans in there? I ain’t playing. So, they can do what they want to do.”
LeBron wasted no time in taking to Twitter to tell everyone that he was absolutely not playing games without his fans in the stands. Apparently, if the coronavirus stopped people from coming to the games, he was ready to not play them.
Changing his stance
But after taking a few breaths, he seems to have changed his tune.
“Obviously, I would be very disappointed not having the fans. Because that’s who I play for — I play for my family, I play for my fans. No one could actually come to the games if they decide to go to that point. But at the same time you’ve got to listen to the people that’s keeping a track on what’s going on. And if they feel it’s best for the safety of the players, safety of the franchise, safety of the league to mandate that then we all listen to it.”
Did this change of heart come from his heart, or his superiors? We’ll never know, but either way, it seems the ball game must go on.