If the world were normal and we were not facing a global pandemic, then we would be smack dab in the middle of the 2020 NBA season.
June 4 was set to be the date of the first game of the NBA finals this year. However, our nation is not even sure if we will be out of our houses by June 4, let alone allowed to sit in an arena filled with thousands of people or even on a court with just 10 players.
Although the pandemic is preventing players from coming together with each other and their fans physically, the NBA has found a way to provide a sense of community and engagement, launching a campaign on March 20 called “NBA Together.”
“The league is using its vast digital footprint and the powerful voices of teams, players, coaches, doctors and others across the NBA family to launch ‘NBA Together,’” said Brian Martin, managing editor of digital media for the NBA, on the NBA’s website. “[It is] a global community and social engagement campaign that aims to support, engage, educate and inspire youth, families and fans in response to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The campaign is made up of four parts.
Part one of the campaign is called “Know the Facts.” This is an online information page for fans of the NBA that details facts about COVID-19. Although run by the NBA, contributors to the website include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and local and federal health experts.
“Acts of Caring” is the second part of the campaign. The NBA recognizes the power of coming together and helping one another during a time like this. For this piece of the campaign, the NBA is asking that fans use the hashtag #NBATogether to show off how we are helping each other out during these times.
Part three of the campaign is “Expand Your Community,” which aims to keep NBA fans mentally and physically engaged, healthy and active. This includes several online resources for kids to grow their bodies and their minds. In addition, they are providing mental wellness online resources for their fans in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and Headspace.
The final piece of the campaign is “NBA Together Live.” Every weekday at 3 p.m. ET, a member of the NBA organization will broadcast on Instagram Live to talk to fans and answer their questions.
In addition to this, the NBA is offering a free preview of the NBA league pass until April 22.
“The response to this global pandemic is the epitome of ‘bigger than basketball’ as the NBA looks to do its part to help people across the globe come together and work through these tough times,” said Martin.
