By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Golden Warriors are looking to not only open their arena for fans in the upcoming NBA season and amid the coronavirus crisis, but be able to accommodate half of the amount that can attend games in Chase Center.
According to a report by ESPN, the Warriors have designed a plan according to which they can have a 50% capacity in their home games. Chase Center’s capacity is 18,064, so that means that if their Warriors’ plan is approved by officials, up to 9,000 fans can be present in each game.
ESPN also reported that the San Francisco Department of Health responded to them that the Warriors’ plan is being reviewed, “in context of the current surge of COVID-19 cases” in the city and state.
The plan is named “Operation DubNation” and it includes tests for every fan, club employees and, of course, players, per game. The Warriors are ready to spend “upward of $30 million” for game-to-game tests.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob hopes the Warriors’ strategy can serve as an example that other clubs can follow. “I not only want to get this done and show the world how we can do it now, I’m willing to spend the money to do it,” Lacob said to ESPN. “This is a serious, serious problem. It cannot go on for multiple years … because if this were to go on for several years, the NBA is no more.
“You cannot sustain this league with no fans. You can do it for a year. We’ll all get by for a year. But suppose we’re in this situation next year. Now we’re talking some serious, serious financial damage to a lot of people.”