Los Angeles (AFP)

Just the sound of sneakers and the ball on the floor: Golden State is the first NBA team, and even a professional sports league in the United States, to announce the holding of a match behind closed doors because of the coronavirus .

The Warriors will host Brooklyn at their empty billion dollar Chase Center on Thursday, they announced on Twitter on Wednesday.

"Due to growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus and in consultation with the city and county of San Francisco, the (Thursday) night's game against the Nets at the Chase Center will be played without the presence of fans," said the press release. Golden State executives.

The announcement was made in consultation with the NBA after San Francisco health officials banned events that were expected to gather more than a thousand people.

While home games bring them each between $ 3.6 million and $ 3.8 million, according to ESPN, the Warriors, owners of the Chase Center, have also announced that all of the events planned in this venue until March 21 are canceled or postponed.

According to the agenda posted on the venue's website, two farmers' markets are held, which are generally held every Saturday.

- Relocated matches? -

The move does not affect Golden State's short-term schedule, as the team begins a six-game away road trip on Saturday before hosting Atlanta on March 25.

This explains why the team led by star Stephen Curry, finalist of the last five NBA seasons and crowned champion in 2015, 2017 and 2018, did not specify if other matches in camera will follow in San Francisco.

His announcement comes as the owners of the 30 franchises must discuss the measures to be taken against the coronavirus this Wednesday with the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver.

According to ESPN, the body, which had sent a memo to clubs calling on them to prepare for the possibility of having to play without the presence of fans, also plans to relocate matches to cities spared from the epidemic of new coronavirus.

Also according to the American media, the NBA also raised the hypothesis of temporarily suspending the season, as is the case for the Italian soccer championship. But this option does not seem to be privileged, due to the limited number of tests carried out for the coronavirus in the United States.

The NBA regular season is set to continue until April 15, after which the play-offs to begin will lead to the finals in early June.

This Wednesday, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recommended holding sports meetings behind closed doors, in a speech to the US Congress.

- Elsewhere reports for the hour -

"We recommend that there be no large crowds. If that means having no people in the halls where NBA games are played, so be it. All events with large crowds increase the risk of transmission of the Covid-19 virus and its spread, "said the authoritative specialist.

Golden State having followed this recommendation, this match behind closed doors constitutes a first, but probably not a last, then the authorities of several States started to prohibit the presence of spectators, during certain sporting events.

If the tennis tournament of Indian Wells, in California, was canceled this week, it is for the moment of postponements which are mainly announced by the sports clubs.

Also in San Francisco, the Giants baseball team has announced that a preseason game against the Oakland Athletics on March 24 will be played at a later date.

In Washington State, one of the most affected by the coronavirus, the Seattle Sounders, defending champions of the MLS football championship, also announced the postponement of the match against FC Dallas on March 21. And the Mariners baseball team have said they are looking to reschedule the 2020 home games scheduled for late March.

According to U.S. health officials, more than 1,000 people in the U.S. have contracted the coronavirus and at least 31 deaths have been attributed to it.

© 2020 AFP