Report: LeBron James hosting workouts with Lakers teammates during NBA's coronavirus hiatus
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been holding on-court workouts with one or two teammates at a private location during the NBA’s coronavirus hiatus, and the Los Angeles Clippers have similarly begun working out together in preparation for a playoff run, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Before the NBA began reopening its own practice facilities on May 8 for individual workouts in states that have lifted restrictions on non-essential businesses, the league office laid out the following guidelines:
No more than four players would be permitted at a facility at any one time.
No head or assistant coaches could participate.
Group activity remains prohibited, including practices or scrimmages.
Players remain prohibited from using non-team facilities such as public health clubs, fitness centers, or gyms.
The Lakers and Clippers appear to be in violation of at least two of them. Teams aiming to compete with the two championship contenders are incentivized to keep pace, if they are not doing so already. The NBA does not have a defined system for fining or punishing players and teams in violation of guidelines.
The players from the NBA’s two L.A. teams also seem to be violating California’s stay-at-home orders. All residents are currently mandated to shelter in place, save for “permitted work, local shopping or other permitted errands, or as otherwise authorized.” NBA players are not listed as exceptions, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom did suggest restrictions on pro sports may begin to be lifted the first week of June.
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Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
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