(ThyBlackMan.com) Without a doubt, the biggest story in America right now is the handling of COVID-19, which is commonly known as the coronavirus. It has been declared a pandemic and has affected numerous Americans after affecting numbers of people throughout the globe. Seemingly every industry in America has been significantly affected by the coronavirus from grocery stores having to revamp inventories of cleaning and sanitary supplies, to the education industry where schools and universities have been suspended, and even the stock market has been impacted by COVID-19.
The entertainment industry has had to adjust as well including the world of sports as amateur, collegiate, and professional sports leagues and organizations have had to cancel or suspend events and seasons. This has become a major public health issue and it will take people looking out for others and working together to prevent the spread and financial drain it will place on individuals and families.
While most NBA players will not be in dire financial straits as the result of the NBA suspending its season, there are a ton of staff members
who work at the stadiums that will be hit hard by a lack of pay that they rely on during the NBA season. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has decided to help by donating $100,000 through his foundation to arena staff who will miss out on hours because the season is suspended.
On his Instagram account, Love wrote, “Through the game of basketball, we’ve been able to address major issues and stand together as a progressive league that cares about the players, the fans, and the communities where we work. I’m concerned about the level of anxiety that everyone is feeling and that is why I’m committing $100,000 through the @KevinLoveFund in support of the @Cavs arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season. I hope that during this time of crisis, others will join me in supporting our communities.”
It is extremely notable and applaud worthy that Kevin Love is doing this. Although he has made over $140 million in NBA salary in his NBA career, he didn’t owe it to anybody to donate any money to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ support staff that have hourly wages. Those people were significantly impacted by the sudden suspension of the season. His team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, appear to be working on a compensation plan to pay event staff and hourly employees that will not see paychecks from working the Cavs’ home games that are being lost during this NBA hiatus. It is easy to forget that while Kevin Love is rich as a millionaire, the owner of his team, Dan Gilbert, is “wealthy” as a billionaire.
It appears the one of the most recognizable faces among NBA owners, Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks, is taking a similar route regarding helping hourly employees. It would be an act of goodwill and humanity if all the NBA owners decided to pay their stadium and event staffs for the games they are missing due to this NBA suspension of the season. The National Hockey League owners should do the same thing as their season is also halted due to the coronavirus concerns. Professional sports team owners have money that the vast majority of Americans cannot even fathom and they should use it to help the people who give sports fans a good experience as they prepare to watch some of the world’s best athletes in the NBA and NHL.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines