In an email sent Tuesday to ticket holders for this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that they will not receive fans in their home games for the 2020-21 season, becoming the first team in the NBA to decide not to have fans during this campaign.
“The decision was based on several factors,” the email said. “The last thing is that the overall health and safety of our fans and our community is the most important thing to us.”
Prior to the start of the season, the Thunder intended to receive fans with limited capacity, with health and safety protocols established throughout the arena. However, with the fall peak in COVID-19 cases across the country, and especially in Oklahoma, the team announced in late November that it would begin the season without fans.
But despite a positive trend line in falling cases and hospitalizations in the state, the Thunder made the final decision to continue the season without fans, citing that it is “too early” and that there are “too many variables that still have to overcome- “to bring thousands of fans back to the sand.
“Our long-term personal relationships with our fans are something we value deeply, and as we look to the future with you, it’s critical for us to make sure that when they return, it’s in a safer environment that we’re in. that moment, ”the team said. “
With the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets announcing plans to welcome fans later this month, there are now 18 teams that are welcoming fans back into the arena or have a plan for the near future. Teams that allow fans do so at reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing, with attendance in the range of 10-15% (usually around 3,000 fans in total).
The Thunder, known for their enthusiastic local fan base, said the “limited gaming experience” that fans would find “under the strict conditions that would be required” also played a factor in the decision.
“The current protocols that are needed would not allow us to live up to our standards of an attractive, high-level entertainment experience,” the team said. “We have always felt the obligation to comply in this area for our fans, but in these circumstances, we do not believe it is possible.”
In Oklahoma, public health measures such as camouflage and physical distancing have been issues of polarization. And within the organization, there is awareness of the tension that could be generated by enforcing protocols in matches between the team and the fans.
The email said the Thunder want to focus their attention on preparing to receive fans for the 2021-22 season.
“We want to make sure your experience in our games is always safe, healthy and the best possible,” the team said. “We hope to have them back in the season than in these conditions.”