• The coronavirus outbreak is forcing many sporting events around the world to reschedule or be canceled outright.
  • The NBA is reportedly considering several potential contingency plans that would allow the league to continue to play as people are encouraged to avoid large social gatherings to slow the spread of the virus.
  • According to ESPN’s Adrain Wojnarowski, one such plan involved moving games that were scheduled to take place in cities dealing with the virus to cities that have yet to suffer an outbreak.
  • On Twitter, fans roasted the idea, noting that the plan could help the virus spread rather than contain it.
  • Follow all of our coverage of the coronavirus here.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Sports leagues around the world have been forced to take some drastic measures to help combat the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

In the United States, leagues have been taking a “wait and see” approach to the virus thus far, but might be forced to take similar drastic action in the near future.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is already discussing several contingency plans, including playing games behind closed doors and suspending game operations for a stretch.

But one plan, in particular, caught the eyes of fans and was immediately shot down as a terrible strategy.

"If the virus clusters and forces a team out of its city and arena for a period of time," one source told Wojnarowski, "there has been discussion about moving games to the away opponent's arena if that city hasn't suffered an outbreak - or even moving games to neutral cities and sites."

Almost immediately, members of NBA Twitter shared their confusion and disapproval of the plan.

If the goal is to avoid spreading the virus, many pointed out, it seems like a plainly bad idea to move games from cities combating the virus to cities that have not yet been affected.

The league's other contingency plans - playing behind closed doors or effectively pressing pause on the season momentarily - have already been adopted elsewhere in the world.

Serie A soccer in Italy has been halted along with all other sports in the country until April. Major events such as the Tokyo Marathon and BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells have already been canceled, and the Summer Olympics are in jeopardy of being postponed or worse.

Lakers star LeBron James had initially rejected the idea of playing games without fans, but on Tuesday walked back those comments, saying that he would follow whatever direction the league decided was best.

"They say no one could actually come to the game if they decide to go to that point, so I would be disappointed in that," James said. "But at the same time, you got to listen to the people that's keeping a track on what's going on. If they feel like it's best for the safety of the players, the safety of the franchise, the safety of the league to mandate that, then we all listen to it."

  • Read more:

A Premier League match has been postponed because a chairman contracted the coronavirus

Team USA basketball coach Gregg Popovich was told the Tokyo Olympics would be canceled - not postponed - if the coronavirus does not get better

LeBron James walks back comments that he would not play if fans weren't allowed in stadiums due to coronavirus concerns

Ivy League cancels conference basketball tournaments over coronavirus concerns and gives Yale and Princeton automatic bids to NCAA Tournaments

The Olympic torch lighting ceremony will go on without spectators amid coronavirus fears