NBA News 2020-21: The NBA did say that the fans might be allowed at a 25-50% capacity after ensuring all the safety protocols. Nothing has been official yet. The Suns announced on Feb. 2 that they will begin allowing fans back at home games starting with Feb. 7. The Boston Celtics and Bruins will be able to play in front of a limited number of fans starting March 22, and the Red Sox could host more than 4,500 fans at Fenway Park on opening day.
While the Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has stated that they are prepared to spend upwards of $30 million on Covid-19 testing to bring back fans at a 50 percent capacity.
NBA News: Check out which teams will allow fans in the 2020-21 NBA season
Atlanta Hawks
Arena: State Farm Arena
Capacity: 16,888
What we know: The Hawks announced the team will continue to play games at State Farm Arena with limited guests and are targeting Jan. 26 for the return of ticketed fans. Tickets for games from Jan. 26 through Feb. 24 will go on sale at a later date and the Hawks will open at 10% capacity (approximately 1,700 tickets) before gradually increasing throughout the season pending adequate conditions.
Boston Celtics
Arena: TD Garden
Capacity: 18,624
What we know: The Boston Celtics and Bruins will be able to play in front of a limited number of fans starting March 22, and the Red Sox could host more than 4,500 fans at Fenway Park on opening day.
Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday that Massachusetts was moving to Phase IV of its coronavirus reopening plan, which will allow large indoor and outdoor arenas and ballparks to admit up to 12% of capacity.
Brooklyn Nets
Arena: Barclays Center
Capacity: 17,732
What we know: The Nets announced their preseason home game (vs. the Wizards on Dec. 13) will be played without fans. They said later on Dec. 4 that Barclays Center will be following New York State guidelines to determine when fans can return to games. Current guidelines do not permit fans.
Charlotte Hornets
Arena: Spectrum Center
Capacity: 19,077
What we know: The Hornets announced that they will hold home games without fans when the 2020-21 season begins. The team said it remains “optimistic that conditions will improve in the coming months” and Charlotte hopes to have fans in attendance later this season.
Chicago Bulls
Arena: United Center
Capacity: 20,917
What we know: The Bulls announced that they will not be hosting fans in the United Center for the beginning of the 2020-21 season. The team says it will continue working with the NBA and city and state officials to evaluate conditions to determine if there is a timeline where fans can return to home games.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Arena: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Capacity: 19,432
What we know: The Cavaliers revealed their initial health and safety plan, which included a state-restricted, reduced seating limit of 300 fans per game. The state of Ohio recently increased that limit to 10% of capacity, and the team and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will offer those seats to their season ticket members and other partners first, on a game-by-game basis starting with their January 11th game.
Dallas Mavericks
Arena: American Airlines Center
Capacity: 19,200
What we know: The Mavericks announced on the American Airlines Center website that it will employ seating charts and event capacities that will be unique to ensure physical distancing for all guests.
Denver Nuggets
Arena: Ball Arena
Capacity: 19,520
What we know: The Nuggets announced they will not host fans to open the 2020-21 season. Per the team, “the Denver Nuggets along with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment will continue to work closely with state and local authorities to navigate the safest return to hosting fans in Ball Arena.”
Detroit Pistons
Arena: Little Caesars Arena
Capacity: 20,332
What we know: The Pistons announced that they will not host fans to open the regular season. The team will continue to work closely with the NBA and state and local authorities to identify appropriate timing for safely welcoming back fans to Little Caesars Arena.
Golden State Warriors
Arena: Chase Center
Capacity: 18,064
What we know: The Warriors have yet to officially announce their home game attendance plans for the 2020-21 regular season.
Houston Rockets
Arena: Toyota Center
Capacity: 18,055
What we know: The Rockets announced they will have a reduced capacity of fans at home games and all other arena events to allow for proper social distancing between sets of guests.
Indiana Pacers
Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Capacity: 17,923
What we know: The Pacers announced that they will have a limited number of tickets for home games on sale to the general public. The games on sale will be played between Jan. 24 and March 4 and will be limited to approximately 1,000 tickets per game through Jan. 25. There will be gradual increases after that as the Marion County Health Department will allow 25% capacity, or roughly 4,500 fans, for Pacers home games.
LA Clippers
Arena: Staples Center
Capacity: 19,068
What we know: The Clippers have yet to officially announce their home game attendance plans for the 2020-21 regular season.
Los Angeles Lakers
Arena: Staples Center
Capacity: 18,977
What we know: The Lakers announced that games at Staples Center will be held without fans until further notice. The team says it plans to work with state and local officials to “come up with a plane to safely welcome fans back to Staples Center” while also adhering to state, local, and NBA guidelines.
Memphis Grizzlies
Arena: FedEx Forum
Capacity: 17,794
What we know: After initially announcing they would allow limited fans at the FedEx Forum, the Grizzlies announced they would begin the season without fans in attendance until further notice, due to recommendations from local public health officials.
Miami Heat
Arena: AmericanAirlines Arena
Capacity: 19,600
What we know: Per The Associated Press, the Heat will begin allowing a limited number of fans to attend games at AmericanAirlines Arena the week of Jan. 24, with screening done by highly trained, virus-sniffing dogs.
Milwaukee Bucks
Arena: Fiserv Forum
Capacity: 17,341
What we know: The Bucks announced that games at Fiserv Forum will be held without fans until further notice in accordance with state and local guidelines. The team will continue to work with state and local health officials, as well as the NBA, to evaluate a potential return for fans in some capacity.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Arena: Target Center
Capacity: 18,978
What we know: The Timberwolves have yet to officially announce their home game attendance plans for the 2020-21 regular season.
New Orleans Pelicans
Arena: Smoothie King Center
Capacity: 16,867
What we know: The Pelicans announced they plan to host approximately 4% of capacity at Smoothie King Center, or 750 fans, for home games to open the 2020-21 season. No seats will be within 30 feet of the court and a limited number of tickets to satisfy player, team and other required NBA obligations were also approved. Per the team, future rulings on fan capacity for home games will be shaped by guidance from health and safety experts as well as guidance from Ochsner Health and the NBA.
New York Knicks
Arena: Madison Square Garden
Capacity: 19,812
What we know: Madison Square Garden announced via its website the Knicks will not allow fans as arena and team officials work with government and public health officials “to ensure we continue to set the industry standard for safe and enjoyable experiences.”
Oklahoma City Thunder
Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena
Capacity: 18,203
What we know: The Thunder announced that it will begin the season by playing games at Chesapeake Energy Arena without fans in an effort to “exercise an abundance of caution to help control the spread of the virus in our community.” The team said it is continuing to monitor and evaluate the situation to determine when fans can return to home games.
Orlando Magic
Arena: Amway Center
Capacity: 18,846
What we know: The Magic announced that the Amway Center will have a physically-distanced, limited capacity of approximately 4,000 fans for regular-season games. The first five regular-season home games are expected to experience a lesser capacity in order to allow fans to become accustomed to the health and safety protocols. Season ticket holders will be given first priority based on their tenure, followed by fans who have made a season ticket deposit.
Philadelphia 76ers
Arena: Wells Fargo Center
Capacity: 20,155
What we know: The 76ers have yet to officially announce their home game attendance plans for the 2020-21 regular season.
Phoenix Suns
Arena: Phoenix Suns Arena
Capacity: 18,055
What we know: The Suns announced on Feb. 2 that they will begin allowing fans back at home games starting with the Feb. 7 game against the Boston Celtics. Local healthcare workers are being admitted to that game free of charge and starting on Feb. 8, the Suns will allow up to 1,500 fans for each game. In addition, suites at Phoenix Suns Arena will be available for purchase at 25% capacity for each game after Feb. 7.
Portland Trail Blazers
Arena: Moda Center
Capacity: 19,441
What we know: The Blazers announced they will not have fans at games to open the 2020-21 season. However, the team is working with public health officials to determine a timeline in which fans can return to watch games at Moda Center.
Sacramento Kings
Arena: Golden 1 Center
Capacity: 17,583
What we know: The Kings announced that games will be played at Golden 1 Center without a crowd in attendance to start the 2020-21 season. “As the team gears up to start the season, fans have the opportunity to purchase a cutout so they can be part of the action at Golden 1 Center all season long,” the team said.
San Antonio Spurs
Arena: AT&T Center
Capacity: 18,354
What we know: The Spurs announced that they will continue to host home games without fans. “Welcoming fans back to the AT&T Center remains a major organizational priority for all of us,” said Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO RC Buford said in a statement. “While we are confident in the plans and protocols we have in place, we are uncomfortable hosting fans at this moment as the COVID-19 numbers and data in our community continue to trend in the wrong direction.”
Toronto Raptors
Arena: Tampa’s AMALIE Arena
Capacity: 20,500
What we know: There’s been a pause in admittance of fans to Raptors games due to a spike in COVID-19 numbers across west-central Florida. “The facility will remain closed to fans through at least February 5 and the organization will reassess the numbers with local health and government officials in the coming weeks before making any subsequent decisions,” per Vinik Sports Group, LLC, the parent company of the Tampa Bay Lightning and AMALIE Arena.
Utah Jazz
Arena: Vivint Home Smart Arena
Capacity: 18,306
What we know: The Jazz announced that they will play home games at Vivint Home Smart Arena with a limited number of fans and all preseason games will be played without fans. The arena will reopen with a seating capacity of 1,500 in the lower bowl and limited suite-level seating for regular-season games. The team is also enacting several social and physical distancing measures, including face masks for all fans age 2 and older.
Washington Wizards
Arena: Capital One Arena
Capacity: 20,362
What we know: The Wizards announced that games will be played at Capital One Arena without fans to begin the 2020-21 season. “At this time, while we remain very optimistic for the potential to host fans at Wizards games at some point during the 2020-21 season, we must begin the season without our loyal fans in attendance,” the team said.
NBA 2020-21 Schedule: The tentative NBA schedule calendar for the 2020-21 season:
• Dec. 11-19, 2020: Preseason games
• Dec. 22, 2020 – March 4, 2021: First Half of regular season
• March 5-10, 2021: All-Star break
• March 11 – May 16, 2021: Second Half of regular season
• May 18-21, 2021: Play-In Tournament
• May 22 – July 22, 2021: 2021 NBA Playoffss
Editors pick
