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Although the 2019-2020 NBA season has been suspended during the coronavirus crisis, it has not disheartened or lessened the leagues global impact.
Over the past week, 18 NBA AND WNBA players have created public service announcement videos to share important health and wellness information about ways to reduce the spread of the coronavirus as part of a global campaign called NBA Together.
Those videos have generated more than 37 million views across the league’s social media accounts. The campaign features the powerful voices of teams, coaches, doctors and other members of the NBA family. Its aim is to support, engage, educate and inspire fans of all ages during the pandemic.
The programme includes these four pillars – Know the Facts, Acts of Caring, Expand Your Community and NBA Together Live.
Know the Facts:
The Coronavirus Information for NBA Fans webpage is updated daily with content and links to provide global fans the latest information on developments in their regions and how they can best protect themselves and others from the virus.
The site features resources to reduce coronavirus risk with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organisation (WHO), former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and local and federal health experts.
Acts of Caring:
This initiative shines a light on the power of community and volunteerism by inspiring one million big and small acts of kindness. The NBA is calling on players, fans and the general public to share ways they are supporting friends, families and communities by posting photos and videos with the hashtag #NBATogether on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. These acts can include teaching virtual classes, buying groceries for neighbours in need or donating supplies. Visit cares.nba.com/actsofcaring to learn more.
Expand Your Community:
The NBA is encouraging fans to expand their communities through content, activities and virtual engagement in an effort to stay physically and mentally healthy and active. This includes the launch of Jr NBA at Home which is a new interactive content series for young people who are currently unable to play with their friends and teammates, but still want to be active, work on their game and connect with the NBA. The programme features at-home basketball skills and drills that promote physical activity and character development and can be completed individually and in limited space. It also includes curated content and messages from NBA and WNBA players to inspire boys and girls around the world to stay active in a healthy and safe way. The programme will feature daily posts on the
@jrnba social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook) and NBA digital properties across the globe, and integration with NBA technology partner and mobile basketball training application HomeCourt.
The NBA has also engaged education and wellness partners such as Scholastic Inc, Discovery Education, and NBA Math Hoops to promote existing resources for students and parents that have been adapted for at-home learning. NBA personalities and educators will create short virtual lessons that will make learning at home fun.
To combat anxiety, the NBA, in partnership with Headspace, will provide mental wellness and resiliency resources and tools to encourage fans to be mindful of their own wellbeing and of those around them.
NBA Together Live:
Every weekday at 3pm EST, a member of the NBA family will engage with fans globally, participating in a live interview with NBA broadcast talent or taking questions from fans on Instagram live. Additionally, every evening the NBA will stream classic games on NBA social platforms including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
To further help NBA fans stay connected with their favourite players and teams, the league partnered with Turner Sports to offer a free preview of NBA League Pass, the league’s premium subscription-based product, until April 22.
This complimentary offering features access to full length and condensed replays of all games from the 2019-20 season, as well as an expansive archive of classic games and content. Fans can redeem this free offer by signing into their NBA account through NBA.com or the NBA App on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android mobile and tablet devices, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other supported devices
