The Golden State Warriors are gearing up for the 2020-21 season and look to have fans supporting them. According to ESPN, the Warriors want to have 50% fan capacity at their home games this upcoming season. They are also looking to test every fan who enters the area and presented the plan to state and local officials.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob said the team is ready to spend as much as $30 million to test every fan, team employee and player. “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. “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.” Lacob also said the league can’t continue without fans. “You can do it for a year,” he continued. “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.”
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The key to all this is using rapid PCR tests because of its accuracy. Lacob said PCR tests can detect the coronavirus in people, even before they become infectious. Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF, reviewed the Warriors plan and liked what he saw.
“The Warriors are planning on using the most accurate, most sensitive tests we have, and that’s a big difference,” he said. “I don’t think anybody else could do anything more than they’ve done. This is as close to making it as close to perfect a plan as I’ve seen for anything reopening.” Along with testing, Warriors fans who enter Chase Center will need to wear a mask and be socially distant.
The NBA is set to start the 2020-21 season on Dec. 22. The Lakers, who won the NBA title in October announced they will not host fans at their home court, Staples Center, to start the year. The Warriors just opened Chase Center last year and want fans in the arena to support the team that has won six championships and three in the last five years. The Warriors feature Steph Curry, a six-time All-Star and two-time MVP.
