Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently shed light on the coronavirus and the best course of action for people to take.
The Los Angeles Lakers were having their strongest run since they last won a championship in 2010. Having come off victories against powerhouses like the Bucks and Clippers a mere couple weekends ago, the purple and gold suddenly looked like they were the team to beat.
Despite the team’s success so far and the fact they have a potential MVP and DPOY on the same roster, everything came to an abrupt stop last Wednesday. It was a day NBA fans and sports fans for that matter will never forget.
The day marked uncharted territory for the world of basketball. Needless to say, prior to that day, 2020 had already been an incredibly tough year for basketball lovers.
To kick off the year, former NBA commissioner David Stern passed away. He was a man who helped globalize the sport and the league would not be where it is today without his contributions.
Of course, a few weeks later marked a day Los Angeles Lakers fans in particular will never forget. When the lives of beloved five-time champion Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others were taken in a devastating helicopter wreck, it seemed like time stood still. No matter how hard one tried, no one could adequately comprehend what just happened.
When Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, it escalated things that much further. In the wake of his diagnosis, commissioner Adam Silver quickly suspended the NBA season for safety reasons.
As Matt Peralta of Lakers Nation pointed out, the NBA was not the only sport that was affected. Many other sports have followed suit with the NBA and have shut down action until further notice.
On the one hand, it is difficult to not have sports to tune into at the moment. Sports provide an escape from reality and the type of joy a child feels when they see a chocolate bar for the first time.
Contrarily, the sports world has opted for what they did in order to prevent the spread of the virus. As important as sports are to us all, health takes the cake and outweighs basketball or anything along those lines.
Earlier in the week, Lakers legend Magic Johnson composed a brief video message of encouragement given the confusing circumstances we are facing. Christian Rivas of SB Nation shared the video in a recent post he produced (originally via Los Angeles Lakers Twitter account).
“Let’s look out for each other.”
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 16, 2020
A message from @MagicJohnson: pic.twitter.com/cjcb4CbbOG
Right off the bat, Johnson made sure to reference just how “scary” things are at the time being. However, Magic was quick to note that with everyone’s cooperation, this epidemic can be conquered “together.”
The Lakers Showtime era legend went on to list a few viable methods to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
Johnson’s message to the public came not too long after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made an announcement of his own. Per Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints, Garcetti stepped up to the plate on Sunday and made several restrictions to combat things from getting any worse.
As a result of the new stipulation, various venues in Los Angeles are on a temporary hiatus of their own. Some examples include bars, cinemas, gymnasiums, and restaurants (with the exception of takeout or delivery).
I’m taking executive action to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in @LACity by closing bars, nightclubs, restaurants (except takeout/delivery), entertainment venues and gyms until March 31 unless extended. Grocery stores will remain open. Watch live: https://t.co/iDFp1C4Zpz pic.twitter.com/IlTcanN2tA
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) March 16, 2020
Per the tweet, the closures will be in effect until the end of the month at the bare minimum. Grocery stores are an exception to the rule given the remarkably high demand for basic necessities.
Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have provided some guidelines for the general public. Among them are the ones Johnson mentioned in his video. However, per Rivas, the CDC has specifically urged mass gatherings of 50 or more individuals for the next two months to be terminated.
Of course, this is the furthest thing from ideal. Staying indoors is not necessarily fun in the minds of some. Although that is true, steps like these are more than necessary in order to tame the coronavirus.
On a similar note, life without sports is certainly not fun by any means. Attending games or even just watching sports on television is a popular staple of American life. Thus, the fact that it has been over a week since basketball stopped has been teeth-grinding.
It especially stinks as a Lakers fan because the club was performing so well. They boast the best record in the Western Conference and are legitimate championship contenders.
As Magic said, though, I want to personally echo the same message to Lakers fans provided what the world is battling. To use his vernacular: “Let’s look out for each other.” That is the best course of action for us to incorporate into our daily lives.
Whilst sports are something folks like me take seriously, health needs to be the top priority currently. On that note, if the recommendations of Magic and others are abided by, perhaps the sooner sports and normalcy will return our routine.