Multiple 76ers Issue Thoughts on Potentially Playing Without Fans Soon

The Philadelphia 76ers could be forced to play without fans in attendance soon. How does the team feel about that?

CAMDEN, NJ -- Before heading out West a little over a week ago, the Philadelphia 76ers weren't aware of how much things around the NBA would change upon returning to the East Coast ten days later. With the coronavirus spreading, all major sports leagues are taking severe measures to prevent the disease from spreading to fans, players, and other team personnel as more cases pop up around the United States.

On Monday, the NBA made it official -- all locker room access is limited to players and essential personnel until further notice. And on Wednesday, a conference call between owners will take place regarding extra steps that could be put in place. The main topic for the meeting will be based on whether fans should be prevented from attending games or not for the time being.

Over the weekend, Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, made it clear he wouldn't play without fans in the stands. However, as things have grown worse just a couple of days after he made those comments, the Lakers' star retracted his statement. The idea of NBA teams playing in front of nobody is becoming more realistic every day. And on Tuesday, a few Philadelphia 76ers offered their thoughts on potentially performing in an empty arena.

Sixers' veteran big man Al Horford made it clear that the team isn't even discussing the idea of playing in front of an extremely light crowd just yet. If it does come to that, however, Horford isn't going to complain. "If we have to do it, then we have to do it," the Sixers' forward/center said on Monday following practice.

As for Sixers' point guard, Shake Milton, he compared the potential scenario to playing a pickup basketball game. "It would definitely be weird," Milton said. "Hopefully, it doesn't get to that point. Everybody likes playing in front of the fans. I can't imagine what it would be like." For the Sixers, playing home games without fans in attendance could be a massive disadvantage.

The Sixers may hold the NBA's best home record at 28-2, but their away record is oddly much worse at 10-24. In the past, the Sixers have credited the sold-out crowds for motivating them to play that much better. As they could potentially be without that boost in the near future, Josh Richardson believes it could affect the outcome of the games.

"That's an interesting dynamic," Richardson stated in regards to playing without fans. "It could be very weird for a lot of guys because we're used to playing in front of packed stadiums. It would kind of be like a pickup game at that point."

If that's the case, what would the Sixers have to do in order to maintain that edge at home? "Teams would have to bring their own energy," Richardson explained. "That could be a big advantage or disadvantage for a lot of people. There would have to be a lot of internal things that would have to line up."

As of right now, the Sixers are scheduled to appear in front of their fans for the first time in over a week on Wednesday to face the Detroit Pistons. Depending on how the owners' meeting goes, a drastic change could shake things up. For now, though, the Sixers will keep their focus on bouncing back after a tough road stretch.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_