More NBA players have joined Cavs’ Kevin Love in helping compensate their arena workers during NBA’s suspension

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love announced that he’d be donating $100,000 to help Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse employees in response to the NBA suspending its season due to novel coronavirus precaution. That has led to other NBA players joining Love in relation to their home arenas, which has been incredible to see.

At this point, the NBA did a no-brainer move in suspending the 2019-20 season for Cleveland Cavaliers and other teams due to novel coronavirus precaution after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for it on Wednesday and that ultimately played right into Utah’s game on Wednesday being postponed at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then on Thursday, it was reported that Utah’s Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for COVID-19, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

In terms of the suspension for the league’s season, in an appearance on NBA on TNT on Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the league’s suspension would last “at least 30 days,” so it’s a while yet before the league’s back in action. In relation to other reported details on how the rest of 2019-20 could play out/salary cap implications/possible 2020 NBA Draft information, you can view those here and also here.

The team announced on Thursday that no players on the Cavs/their staff has shown symptoms of novel coronavirus, h/t Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Anyhow, what was terrific news on Thursday, was that factoring in the league’s suspension, Cavaliers big man Kevin Love announced that he’s donating $100,000 to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse employees/staff that make the game experience amazing. That donation was set to made through the Kevin Love Fund, Love said via his Instagram, and what a gesture this was from Love.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and really, owner Dan Gilbert, announced on Thursday that they’ll be compensating the RMF “hourly and event staff team members” as was going to be the case had games been played out as planned. That’s good stuff by Gilbert.

The Cavs’ next home game was set to be on March 24 against the Sacramento Kings, for reference.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

Furthermore, it was nice to see that in an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday, that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is in the process of implementing a compensation plan for hourly employees at American Airlines Center, where Dallas plays their home games, affected by the NBA’s season suspension.

He also touched on how he/the Mavs plan to help out smaller business affected by precautions taken in relation to limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Also, per a report from The Athletic‘s Bill Shea (subscription required), Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler joined in with Gilbert and Cuban and said that he is going to compensate the employees/game event staff at the Hawks’ home arena, State Farm Arena, due to the league’s suspension, too.

Moreover, other NBA stars joined Love in helping to compensate game/event staff at their respective home arenas affected by the NBA’s season suspension, and that was awesome to see.

The reigning NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, announced that he/his family’s donating $100,000 to help compensate the aforementioned staff at the Bucks’ home arena, Fiserv Forum. Fellow Milwaukee star Khris Middleton matched that, too, per the Bucks, and their entire roster followed suit.

Along with that, New Orleans Pelicans rookie phenom Zion Williamson, h/t Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, is “pledging to cover the salaries for all of the Pelicans arena staff workers for the next 30 days.” 

What a move by the 19-year-old on Friday, and to reiterate, Zion is a rookie, too.

Plus, Detroit Pistons star big Blake Griffin donated $100,000 to the staff at Little Caesars Arena, where the Pistons play, as of Friday, per the Detroit News‘ Rod Beard. Gobert himself also pledged more than $500,000 (h/t the Jazz) on Saturday to help support the employees at Vivint Smart Home Arena “and COVID-related social services relief in Utah, Oklahoma City and within the French health care system.”

These donations to compensate event staff that make game experiences so enjoyable for players, teams and fans has been remarkable to see among NBA players.

Also, the Golden State Warriors are establishing a Disaster Relief Fund through the Warriors Community Foundation to compensate employees/those affected by the league’s suspension due to COVID-19 precautions; it’s to be consisted of $1 million in donations from the ownership, coaches and players themselves. Props to you, Warriors.

For reference, as of Saturday, per Matt Moore of The Action Network (@Hardwood Paroxysm) here’s the list of owners that “have pledged to support arena workers during the suspension,” and h/t FanSided’s Gerald Bourguet.

At any rate, the donation from Love and the other players mentioned is something that was truly outstanding, and hopefully, all the NBA owners end up pledging to support their arena’s employees affected by the league’s suspension.

As a side note, Love had been playing especially well, for the most part, post-All-Star break for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his last eight games, he had 18.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, according to NBA.com.

Again, though, props to K-Love for starting off what could be quite a trend among other players to help out their arenas’ employees/game event staff.

All the owners really should be taking care of their employees/game event staff affected by the league suspension, however, and hopefully they all end up coming around, as some others have already.