Rumors

"We are thrilled that the inaugural Basketball Africa League season will take place at the world-class Kigali Arena," said BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall. "Through the BAL, we will provide a platform for elite players from across the continent to showcase their talent and inspire fans of all ages, use basketball as an economic growth engine across Africa, and shine a light on Africa's vibrant sporting culture." The BAL says it has created "robust health and safety protocols" for the 12 teams and their personnel traveling to Rwanda due primarily to the COVID-19 virus. The BAL says its health and safety protocols are from the guidance of public health officials and medical experts from the World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

ESPN

But Durant didn’t have much time to get acclimated before the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic two days later. “I did not have a traditional onboarding, but I sincerely believe that I am meant to be here at this moment,” Durant, who previously worked for ESPN for 20 years, told The Undefeated on Wednesday. “You learn fast. We had to figure out what this meant for our business, how to protect our cast members, how to do what was right for our guests. “I was the new person, the people around me weren’t new. They knew their jobs. They knew this company, and they brought me along.”

The Undefeated

“What the World Health Organization is asking us to do, they’re asking all of us to be part of the solution or causing no more problems,” Mutombo said. “I think we’ve already seen so many deaths already. We’ve already lost so many loved ones. I think every one of us who’s living in America today … I think all of us knows somebody who has died from COVID-19, either a friend or friend of a friend or a family member.”

Denver Post

Bogdanovic plans to continue to monitor the happenings around the world and how he might be able to help. He also believes players can begin to look at their lives from a bigger perspective and what they might want to pursue after basketball. “I feel like everyone should see what is going on and what it might be like when you’re retired,” Bogdanovic said. “That’s what you can learn from this situation, and follow the rules that the government is giving us, the World Health Organization as well, for this pandemic to go away as quickly as it can.”

The Athletic

The survey, sent to about 4,000 athletes with a 45 percent response rate, yielded results that included: Nearly 65 percent of athletes said their training has been severely impacted, or they can’t train at all. Nearly two-thirds of athletes feel that continuing to train would either put their health at risk or aren’t sure if it would put their health at risk. Nearly 70 percent of athletes said they would feel comfortable competing if the World Health Organization deemed it safe. 68 percent said they did not think the Games could be fairly competed if continued as scheduled. Nearly 93 percent reported a preference for postponing the Games versus canceling them outright.

NBCSports.com

The CBA was the first major sports league to feel the impact of the COVID-19 virus. And because quarantines escalated through the Lunar New Year in late January, many players and coaches out of town for the holiday have not been able to return. There are now more than 118,000 cases and 4,000 deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization. It was officially declared a pandemic on Wednesday. For the NBA, which is making preparations in the event of a wider spread of the virus in the U.S., what has happened in China is an unsettling look at the fallout from the temporary stoppage of a well-planned and relatively deep-pocketed league. "I haven't been home this time of year since I was in high school," said Andrew Nicholson, a Loong Lions forward who was drafted 19th in 2012 by the Orlando Magic and played in the NBA for five years. "It's been frustrating, but no one could have expected this, no one can control it."

ESPN

Amid coronavirus fears, the Orlando Magic will take extra precautions but still plan to play two home games with fans in attendance this week. NBA leadership met Wednesday to discuss response to the new coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, that was listed as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Orlando Sentinel

“It’s fine if players choose alkaline water,” Dr. Marie Spano, a nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks, says. “However, they deserve to know the science, or in this case, lack thereof, behind alkaline water.” Compared to your typical glass of water, alkaline water might not be as beneficial as advertised. Researchers suggest it is almost impossible to consume enough of the stuff to affect your blood alkalinity. And doing so could have adverse effects on the body: The World Health Organization warns that downing high levels of alkaline water can raise gastrointestinal issues.

Bleacher Report