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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers will not have fans at Staples Center during the upcoming regular season until further notice.
The NBA champions on Tuesday formalized the long-awaited decision for the new season, which will begin on December 22.
The Lakers are also apparently not planning to hang their 17th title banner until fans are in the stands to celebrate the moment with them.
“We appreciate your continued support and look forward to coming together, when it is safe, to celebrate the raising of our banner and the quest for another NBA Championship,” the team said in a statement.
The Lakers said they were following the advice of state and local health officials to plan to move forward without fans in the bleachers of their downtown arena. They intend to continue working on a plan to welcome fans whenever governments and the league allow, but large gatherings are still banned in California under coronavirus restrictions.
The Lakers won the NBA Finals on Oct. 11 in the league bubble at Walt Disney World in Florida, finishing the Miami Heat in six games. Los Angeles has spent three full months in the bubble, leaving just four weeks ago.
NBA training camps are set to begin around Dec. 1, putting the Lakers back to practice seven weeks after their title win.
When the free agent signing period begins next week, the Lakers are expected to re-sign Anthony Davis for a second season alongside NBA Finals MVP LeBron James. Los Angeles faces several more difficult roster decisions this month, including whether to retain Dwight Howard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Markieff Morris.
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