Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Saturday 21 March 2020
Without games, NBA players using their platforms in new way

By TIM REYNOLDS after the NBA's shutdown
AP Basketball Writer because of the virus went
Cleveland's Kevin Love did into effect. In less than a
his best to reassure a skittish week across all platforms
and scared public. Den- — NBA.com, Facebook,
ver's Jamal Murray sat at his Instagram, Twitter and Tik
piano and played theme Tok — the videos collected
songs. Atlanta's Trae Young more than 36 million views,
shot balled-up socks into a or reaching, on average,
trash can. Miami's Goran 70 people every second.
Dragic, in his native Slove- "Just a reminder to make
nian, told people to stay sure you guys wash your
inside. hands, avoid large crowds
This is the new NBA normal and if you might be sick,
in a coronavirus-dominat- quarantine yourself," Port-
ed world. land guard Damian Lillard
Even without games, the said in his PSA. "This is only
league is trying to engage a virus that we can beat
and even encourage fans together." Toronto coach
in these tough times. Nick Nurse was one of
So far, almost 20 current many who spoke about
and former players have the need to listen to medi-
partnered with the NBA cal professionals and wash
and WNBA for a new sort of hands frequently; the offi-
public-service announce- cial guideline is 20 seconds,
ment as the world contin- Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love, right, and Matthew Dellavedova celebrate after Love made a Nurse suggested raising the
three-point shot in overtime in an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Sunday,
ues dealing with the coro- March 8, 2020, in Cleveland. The Cavaliers won 132-129 in overtime. bar to 24 seconds in a nod
navirus pandemic that Associated Press to the NBA shot clock.
is known to have struck "This is one time we don't
about a quarter-million ing homeschooled ... we to announce a donation to think the unknown is what mind a shot clock viola-
people worldwide, killed have to reach them." help arena employees who really scares us," Love said. tion," Nurse said.
nearly 10,000 and has es- Love's PSA, released earlier aren't at work right now "So, it's completely normal Other NBA players are
sentially shut down sports this week, went for nearly because of the shutdown. to feel this way and what making sure to keep their
around the globe. three minutes and was a He gave $100,000 and people are feeling is nor- social-media contact with
"We're able to reach a continuation of sorts of the has been raising money mal. And I think that just be- fans up in different ways.
number probably in the conversation he's been through his Kevin Love Fund ing isolated at your home, Phoenix's Frank Kaminsky
hundreds of millions, but as having publicly for some to directly donate to men- it's tough to stay away from and New Orleans' JJ Redick
far as kids go, tens of millions time about mental health. tal health organizations this 24-hour news cycle are among the players who
of kids just by pressing send "Now more than ever, we working with high-risk chil- where all people are get- have dropped podcasts
on an NBA PSA," Love said. have to practice compas- dren and teens who need ting are things that will send this week, and the Los An-
"So for me, it was consider- sion. ... We need more of help with their mental well- them down a slippery slope geles Lakers' LeBron James
ing that community aspect that," Love said in his video. being. Love didn't hesitate and in a spiral because it took his enormous follow-
as well as, you know, think- Love went public two years before deciding whether just seems to be so nega- ing inside his home for a
ing of young kids now be- ago about his struggles to talk directly to fans. tive." 45-minute live video Thurs-
ing at home being home- with depression and was "This is just incredibly anxi- The league started these day night while he played
schooled, at-risk youth be- one of the first NBA players ety-ridden, stressful, and I PSAs on March 13, two days cards with his family.q
Former FIBA head Borislav Stankovic dies

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — in the late 1980s and early most important figures in
Borislav Stankovic, the for- '90s to bring world basket- the history of our sport."
mer longtime International ball into the modern era. As a player, he helped
Basketball Federation sec- That resulted in American Red Star Belgrade win two
retary general responsible professional players partici- national titles, in 1946 and
for bringing NBA players to pating in the top-level na- 1947, and had 36 caps for
the Olympics, has died, the tional team competitions, Yugoslavia, including at the
governing body said. He starting at the Barcelona inaugural Basketball World
was 94. Olympics in 1992. Cup in 1950 in Buenos Aires,
Stankovic was at the helm For his contributions to the Argentina.
of FIBA from 1976 to 2002 game, he was inducted As a coach, he captured
and was a member of into the Basketball Hall of four Yugoslav league ti-
the International Olympic Fame in Springfield, Massa- tles and one in the Italian
Committee. chusetts in 1991. league.
During his leadership, he FIBA Secretary General An- Stankovic died in Belgrade,
was credited with working dreas Zagklis said in a state- the Serbian capital. The
toward building bridges be- ment "as the leader of the cause of his death was not
In this Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010 file photo, FIBA Secretary General tween East and West during International Basketball given.
Emeritus Borislav Stankovic smiles before a friendly basketball the Cold War and working Federation for a quarter of He is survived by one
match Serbia against China, in Belgrade, Serbia. closely with the then-NBA a century, Borislav Stankov- daughter and two
Associated Press Commissioner David Stern ic will always be one of the granddaughters.q