How L.A. Clippers Fans are Dealing with the Suspension of the NBA Season

The NBA season is suspended, and it won't be back for at least a month. How are L.A. Clippers fans handling the news?

It's been a few days since the NBA season was officially suspended amid the Coronavirus outbreak, and fans of the L.A. Clippers are still feeling the effects.

"I know it's just a game," said Randi Geffner, a long-time Clippers fan. "But NBA basketball, and the Clippers in particular, have been a huge part of my family's life for more than 35 years, and also a huge part of how I spend my time for six (or hopefully more) months every year."

Geffner has been a season ticket holder since 1984, when the Clippers first moved to Los Angeles. She's been to almost every home game since then, primarily attending them with her now 92-year-old father. 

To have to miss out on new experiences is a difficult pill to swallow for her and many other Clippers fans. 

"We have lifelong Clippers friends with whom we share so many nights at STAPLES Center," she said. "We had a great trip planned to meet some amazing people at the Clippers - Pistons game at the end of March. It's just sad to be postponing so many opportunities to make memories with my dad and my family."

That said, Geffner believes the NBA made the right decision to postpone the remainder of the 2019-2020 season. 

"I think the NBA acted appropriately, quickly and decisively to shut everything down within minutes," she said. "There was no way to do that other than making what must have been a very heavy decision to suspend the whole league."

The NBA's decision to suspend the season created a domino effect across the country, as other sports organizations — including the NCAA, NHL and MLB — suspended or canceled a significant chunk of the season as well. 

The NCAA first canceled conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament for both men's and women's basketball, but soon canceled all college sports through the school year as well. The NHL suspended play the same night as the NBA. Most recently, the MLB canceled spring training and delayed the beginning of the regular season for two weeks.

As such, Kylie Sparks, a Clippers and Los Angeles Dodgers fan, has been impacted on multiple fronts.

"Other leagues have suspended following the NBA's decision," they said. "And therefore with the MLB delay, that has affected my work as a baseball writer as I had coverage for spring training commissioned and planned but will not get to write."

When the NBA does resume play, Sparks believes the league should be cautious with who is allowed where and keep a few restrictions in place. 

"They should keep locker room visits to a minimum and keep everyone at safe distances off the court," they said. "I do think fans should be allowed back at games, but having hand sanitizer stations everywhere will help ease some pandemic anxiety."

Also affected by the league suspension is actor and comedian Paul Scheer, who has been one of the more outspoken Clippers fans on Twitter over the last few years. But Scheer understands that as much as this sucks for him, those who work in the arenas have been hit the hardest.

"I'm bummed, but I can't complain when my livelihood isn't based on the NBA season," he said. "I think of all the workers around the stadium that make tips and wages from the influx of giant crowds nightly into their bars, restaurants and shops. This is a s**t show for so many so as much as I love my Clippers, I'm putting it into perspective as this decision affects so many and encourage you all to look into ways to make a difference locally via food banks or GoFundMe."

Fortunately, the Clippers — along with the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings — have already begun to assist those who were working in the STAPLES Center, teaming up to cover thousands of workers' hourly wages. 

Scheer also understands that the season must go on at some point, and he wants to see the Clippers take care of their unfinished business. 

"This season has been electric, and we all want some resolution," he said. "I have faith that as more information comes in, the right decisions will be made."

A month-long hiatus is tough to come to grips with at first, but Clippers fans understand that the break is necessary to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Once the league does return, we can trust that Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the team will go to work in an attempt to bring home the franchise's first NBA title.