• The NBA took drastic action in response to a player testing positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday night, suspending league action indefinitely.
  • The decision was made in the interest of player health and safety, but the sudden stoppage leaves many hourly workers tied to teams that depend on packed stadiums for their livelihood, such as stadium employees, security, and concessions workers, in a bind.
  • Speaking after the NBA announced its suspension, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told reporters that the Mavericks had already begun putting a plan in place that would help hourly workers affected by the league’s stoppage.
  • Other owners had expressed concern for the hourly workers in their arenas, and could follow Cuban’s lead as the league stoppage plays out over the coming days.
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The NBA took drastic action on Wednesday night, suspending league action indefinitely after news broke that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the coronavirus.

While the move undoubtedly changes the shape of the season in terms of basketball, it also directly affects the lives of thousands of hourly workers in stadiums across the league, many of whom depend on packed stadiums to earn a living through the season.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he was working to make sure that hourly employees that were a part of his team would be taken care of through the league stoppage.

“I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to financially support people who aren’t going to be able to come to work – you know, they get paid by the hour, and this is their source of income,” Cuban said. “We’ll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we’ve already started the process of having a program in place. I don’t have any details to give, but it’s certainly something that’s important to me.”

Cuban's comments come after Warriors general manager Bob Myers brought up similar concerns for the team's hourly employees after it was announced earlier in the day that Golden State would be forced to play without fans in attendance on Thursday night, before the league had wholly suspended action.

"We feel for the workers mostly - the low-income wage earners that count on working our games," Myers said. "If you're gonna have empathy, have it for them, not for us."

With Cuban's announcement, it's possible the Warriors will take a page from the Mavericks book as the situation plays out and find a way to compensate its hourly employees for their lost wages.

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