FANDEMIC Series: Legends, George, Horry and Reynold Discuss How Sports Will Look Without Fans

Three legends in their respective sports recently sat down with BetOnline to discuss playing during the coronavirus pandemic. Robert Horry, Eddie George, and Harold Reynolds all shared their thoughts with BetOnline about whether they would play in this environment and how they would react to not having fans in the stands among other topics. The entire video is available on BetOnline’s YouTube channel, but here are some particularly interesting tidbits from Big Shot Rob.

The biggest overarching question for professional athletes right now is whether to play this season. We have seen stars like Carlos Vela of the MLS opt out, and the MLB and NBA have both seen several players decide to sit out the 2020 campaign. When asked about what he would do in this situation, Horry gave a rather poignant answer saying:

“It depends on where I’m at in my career. You know, if I’m like five years in, ten years in, or like 16 years at the end of my career, I wouldn’t do it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vIdSJDgZho

Horry gave some of the reasoning behind his rationale when he added:

“My wife had heart issues, and I got a young kid at home so I probably wouldn’t play. Plus, I had made enough money that I didn’t have to play, so that makes a big difference on where you are. My career is established so, you know, it’s hard to say, and plus I had seven championships so, you know, I’m not trying to win another one.”

Those sentiments get to the underlying heart of the issue. Athletes who are at-risk or have loved ones who are at-risk have very difficult decisions to make, and several are choosing to err on the side of caution. Vela decided not to take part in the MLS is Back Tournament because of his pregnant wife, while reigning MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara told the media that he had underlying health conditions.

In the NBA, Avery Bradley will miss the remainder of the season since his son has a history of respiratory issues, while older veterans that have made their money like Trevor Ariza, DeAndre Jordan, and Thabo Sefolosha simply don’t want to take any chances given the circumstances. Younger players don’t have that stability, so these decisions are more difficult for them.

Horry was also asked about how he would react in the fanless environment. Many NBA players have had sizable crowds since their AAU days, so it will certainly be a strange experience to be playing without raucous fans cheering or booing throughout the game. That is particularly true at this time of year, since this will be the stretch run of the regular season before the playoffs get underway.

“Well, for me, I fed on fans’ energy, and I also loved going into different visiting teams’ arenas and shutting them up,” Horry said. Big Shot Rob certainly did that often in his career, as the seven-time NBA champion was known for hitting backbreaking buckets in clutch situations.

Horry added, ”I think sometimes people don’t understand how much as athletes we need fans. We love fans, and we appreciate them greatly. I know a lot of times we act like we don’t but not signing autographs, but we really appreciate fans because they give us that energy in the fourth quarter…”

Portland fans know how much fans can matter all too well after their Trail Blazers blew a 13-point lead entering the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals. The Blazers scored just 13 points in the decisive game in Los Angeles, as their players collectively looked like deer in headlights as the momentum turned against them. Without fans in the stands, you won’t feel those decisive momentum swings nearly as often in the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

To see more clips from the series, check out our YouTube channel right here!