Philadelphia 76ers Kicking Off 2020-21 Season Against Washington Wizards
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Philadelphia 76ers kick off the 2020-21 NBA season Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center. They are hosting the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. but there will be no fans in the stands due to Philadelphia's COVID-19 restrictions.
It will be the first regular season game for the Sixers new head coach Doc Rivers.
GAME DAY.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 23, 2020
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The NBA has implemented guidelines for teams to follow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NBA teams that do not comply with league rules designed to minimize the spread of the coronavirus this season could face major penalties such as forfeiting games or draft picks, the league told its franchises earlier this month.
The league says that it and the National Basketball Players Association will discuss players, coaches and other staff "being required to receive a coronavirus vaccine" when it becomes available, strongly urged teams to encourage players and personnel to get flu shots, and said that effective immediately Tier 1 and Tier 2 personnel — which basically means players, coaches and some essential staff — must avoid bars, lounges, clubs even if food is served, most live entertainment or gaming venues, public gyms, spas and pool areas.
Also off-limits: indoor gatherings of 15 or more people. Those rules apply both when teams are at home and when they are on the road, the NBA said.
The rules and protocols in the updated document — which even includes examples of how seating charts on planes and buses could be set up — have been agreed upon by the NBA and the NBPA.
"The biggest thing is obviously, from what we've been told, is the testing on the daily," Philadelphia forward Tobias Harris said earlier in the week as the protocols were being finalized. "And guys holding each other accountable to be safe and limit exposure from outside people or whatever. For me, it's a bit confusing because you never know. You could go into a grocery store and you may get the virus somehow, right? So, I think it's a fine line, but I think we have to do our best to follow protocol, keep each other safe, keep the team safe and just see how it plays out."
Earlier this month the NBA began its coronavirus testing program. Players and coaches are being checked daily along with their immediate families, if they wish to be tested.
Teams have been told by the NBA to work with BioReference, the league's testing provider, to make voluntary PCR testing available for all household members of Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals twice a week. The household members of those Tier 1 and Tier 2 individuals are also being urged to get flu shots.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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