Panic in the world of basketball due to Coronavirus
The worst thing with this virus is to ignore it. Like any other threat, it has to be taken very seriously. So after Rudy Gobert, Trey Thompkins and other players were infected with Coronavirus, the whole world of basketball reacted and the games were stopped. Even in Russia, the VTB League was cancelled. Only the Turkish League will apparently continue to play their games. In spite of many players asking for the suspension of the championship. Between them the naturalized Bobby Dixon aka Ali Muhammed, Shane Larkin and other fellows from Galatasaray.
The Turkish League’s games are scheduled for today and it remains to see if they will be played even behind closed doors. Turkey is not part of the European Union, but they are close to Iran where the virus had made till now many victims. So cautionary measures have to be taken as well in Turkey.
The second worst thing with Coronavirus is the panic who is installing in the world of basketball, especially between the American players. The majority of them want to leave Europe for the USA without thinking that the virus has no borders. In the USA is erupting every day, like in the other parts of the world. I understand the Americans who are playing in Italy, they are really scared because there the virus made more victims than in any other European country. But I don’t understand why Tyrese Rice wants to end up his basketball career, leaving Panathinaikos. I do better understand Sasha Djordjevic asking us all to be like Braveheart. It is the best thing to do, stay united like a family.
I don’t understand as well the hasty decision of some national federations to give now the titles to the teams and finishing the championship at the beginning of March when they could wait to see how the things are going in the near future. Why we are in a hurry to end the basketball season? We can end it in June, we can postpone games. It is very possible that in 2-3 weeks, the virus will be gone if we take proper actions against it. And then what? We will stay for 6 months without official basketball games?
Photo: Eurocup
Gratian Cormos
