LeBron James still isn’t sure about an NBA without the fans.
While appearing on the Road Trippin’ Podcast this week, LeBron James opened up about the NBA suspending its season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
He also addressed when he thought the season would pick back up, and whether that would be without fans in attendance, a scenario first suggested by the league ahead of the full shutdown.
“Listen, you heard my comment when I first was asked about it,” said James in the video chat with Channing Fyre, Allie Clifton and Richard Jeferson. “I still think the same way. Having a game without fans, is just … What is the word ‘sport’ without ‘fan’?”
He continued, “There’s no excitement. There’s no crying. There’s no joy. There’s no back-and-forth. There’s no rhyme or reason that you want to go on the road and just dethrone the home team because of their fans and vice versa.”
“That’s what also brings out the competitive side of the players, to know that you’re going on the road in a hostile environment, and yes, you’re playing against that opponent in front of you, but you really want to kick the fans’ a—-, too,” James explained.
The 35-year-old added, “I just don’t know how we can imagine a sporting event without fans. It’s just — it’s a weird dynamic.”
Still, he noted, “to get back on the floor, I would love it.”
Earlier this month, ahead of the season’s suspension, the Los Angeles Lakers star said he wouldn’t participate if it came to playing in empty arenas.
“I ain’t playing,” James told reporters at the Staples Center, according to USA Today. “I ain’t got the fans in the crowd? That’s who I play for. I play for my teammates; I play for the fans — that’s what it’s all about.”
As California remains on lockdown, James is enjoying family time.
As he said on the podcast, “It’s given me an opportunity to be with my kids every day.”
Source: Read Full Article