Ja Morant ran down the center of the court, looking for options as the Memphis Grizzlies home opener was drawing toward the end. As Morant crossed over the three-point line, two San Antonio Spurs defenders closed in on him, seeming to cut off his path. Then Morant took flight, from just above the free throw line, and as he leapt, both defenders slid out of the way, I suppose each thinking the other would step up. Seizing the moment and turning opportunity into a memory, Ja threw the ball off the glass, landed and jumped again, caught the ball on the rebound, and dunked it, all in one smooth moment.
And the reaction was, mostly, silence. Sure, there were a few yells from the Grizzlies bench, but when you make a highlight play and there are no fans in-person to watch you do it, there aren’t a lot of options.
Welcome to the 2020-21 NBA season, at least for now. With the COVID-19 pandemic still ravaging the United States, the NBA season started last week with no fans in most of the arenas, including here in Memphis. While that is subject to change to based on local health and safety updates, at least for week one, there were no fans. As someone who gets to cover the Grizzlies for a living, however, I am one of the few people allowed in FedExForum for the games. So, let me tell you what it’s like to attend an NBA game without fans.
First, some history. I’ve covered the NBA for two decades now, which means I’ve been to hundreds, if not thousands, of NBA games. I’ve been to 23 of the 29 NBA current arenas. I can’t tell you how to get into the main seating areas of most of those buildings, but I know where the security offices are and how to navigate the hidden walkways that lead to the press rooms and locker rooms. (Sidenote: A few times when speaking to young writers, I’ve been asked if I have a preferred “writing space,” which always makes me chuckle. You should see some of the press workrooms from which I’ve had to set up shop and write, particularly big events during the NBA Finals, where there are hundreds of writers jammed together, sharing folding tables lined up behind temporary curtains.) I say all of this to note that going to NBA games is kind of what I do. I’ve seen every halftime act on the circuit, and can speak fluently about the various PA announcers and in-arena hosts around the league.
But after attending however many games with fans, I’ve now been to two Grizzlies games with no fans at all, and I have to say, NBA games without fans are… weird. In some ways, it’s exactly like attending a regular game. When each starter is announced, flames shoot out from a platform a few feet away from my seat in the front row of the upper deck, as Grizz, our indefatigable mascot, gestures wildly to the empty seats below. Music still blares throughout the evening, from pregame warmups until the last player leaves the court. Yet at halftime, there’s no Red Panda, no Amazing Sladek. Disembodied fans vaguely cheer from speakers somewhere above us in perpetuity, and their soft roar turns into a less-soft roar whenever a shot goes in, a gentle wave of support.
Normally, the closer you can get to the court, the better, because you can hear the players and coaches talk to each other and pick up the kind of minutiae that can inform your reporting in a really singular way. In previous years, I sat one row behind FedExForum’s scorer’s table, close enough to pick up little things, like the way Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins constantly exhorts his guys to “Keep playing!” even when things aren’t going their way. This season, because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, I am (understandably) not allowed anywhere near the court, where the players and coaches and refs are. The funny thing is, right now it doesn’t really matter how close you are, because with no fans in the arena, voices carry. Last week, when the Hawks were in town for a preseason game, Rajon Rondo brought the ball up the court and someone from the Grizz could be heard trolling him by shouting, “Shoot it! Shoot it!”
To me, the biggest difference in not having fans at these NBA games is it underscores just how integral fans are to the NBA experience. The most remarkable NBA moment that I witnessed in person was probably Ray Allen’s game-tying three pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. My media seat on that night was in the upper deck of the stadium, pretty much directly behind Allen, and when that shot went in, it was like an explosion of humanity, all wearing white t-shirts.
It felt like the upper deck of the stadium was vibrating, and for all I know, perhaps it actually was quivering. I remember the dead silence of the crowd in Detroit when Robert Horry hit a game-winner in the 2004 Finals.
And I remember what it sounded like just over a year ago in here in Memphis when Jae Crowder hit the buzzer-beater to beat the Nets.
My point is, incredible plays are great, but no matter the sport, they are heightened by the spontaneous reaction of the fans in attendance. High-fiving strangers is something that right now seems unfathomable, but once we figure out how to get back to that level of normalcy, I can’t wait to celebrate a shared experience with random people. Hopefully we get there soon.
That NBA games are even happening at all right now is something of a high-wire act, requiring constant vigilance and care from everyone involved. The NBA is back playing games, but once we are able to fully, and safely, pack buildings again, whenever that is, that’s when NBA action will once again be fan-tastic.