If the NBA Cares, They Need to Show It
I have great respect for coaches and know they take their jobs seriously. Especially at the professional level, they demand excellence from their players and hold them to extremely high standards. We should do the same for coaches. They surely know the importance of visual cues and the power of leading by example.
The past year has been like no other and the impact of COVID-19 on sports has been tremendous, so when I recently tuned in to an NBA game, I wasn’t surprised to see the sign behind the court say “NBA Cares: Wear a mask, Practice Healthy Habits.” It has been made abundantly clear that we are all in this together and we all have a role to play.
So, as I sat on my own couch, not in a bar or at a friend’s home, to watch the game, I was appalled when the coaches pulled off their masks to offer instructions or yell at players. Cameras inevitably panned to masks hanging below chins or off ears and I began to question what message this sends to viewers. People, and especially kids, watching at home take cues from what they see on television and coaches are in a special position to model appropriate behavior.
It is nearly a year into this pandemic and we have learned a lot about the virus that has completely transformed our lives. We know masks help reduce COVID transmission and through PSA’s we are constantly reminded of the proper way to wear a mask — over the nose, under the chin, sealed around the sides. We have been told over and over again that singing transmits the virus at higher rates, followed by yelling and talking.
As an average citizen who can’t wait to eat out in a restaurant and take a vacation, I applaud the NBA for making the right decision to forgo fans in the stands and limit the number of people in arenas. I appreciate the reminders on the signs around the court and the fact that masks are present on faces in courtside seats.
If the league truly wants to keep players and coaches healthy then they need to do more. They need to ask coaches to keep the masks on and fine them when they don’t.
