Clippers, Lakers and Kings create employee fund for part-time workers

As was reported Friday, the Staples Center tenants whose seasons were suspended have established an employee fund for hourly workers. The Clippers, Lakers, and Kings confirmed Saturday that they have created a fund “designed to provide compensation for wages lost by employees scheduled to work at suspended sporting events through the end of the NBA and NHL regular seasons,” per a release from all three teams.

There are over 2,800 part-time workers who make up the event staff at Staples Center and who will benefit from the fund. Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported that the total could be more than $5 million.

The Clippers and Lakers join several other teams around the league who have taken the important step to compensate hourly workers during the coronavirus suspension, a charge initially led by Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks immediately after the season was indefinitely suspended on Wednesday. Many players have also decided to help support part-time employees during this time, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Zion Williamson and Rudy Gobert.

Staples Center also donated 7,000 pounds of unused food to The Midnight Mission and Los Angeles Mission Men’s Center on Friday. As the release notes, the food would have otherwise gone to waste and is instead being used to support the food-insecure population in the downtown area.

With regards to tickets for the suspended games, the Clippers issued a statement saying:

Tickets purchased from the LA Clippers for postponed games will be honored if and when the games are rescheduled. If the games are not played or played without spectators in attendance, ticket buyers will be refunded.

NBA players have been instructed to self-quarantine during the hiatus and remain at home and in market through March 16. Teams are not to hold group practices or workouts, and team doctors are supposed to contacts players at least once per day.

During the suspension, the league is in a moratorium, meaning that no signings or trades can take place. Per Shams Charania, the moratorium will last until April 10 and then be reevaluated. The NBA Players Association sent a memo to all player agents that players will continue to be paid during this time, but there has not yet been official confirmation from the league.

The Clippers players have been mostly quiet during the first few days of the suspension, unless you’ve been watching Paul George play Call of Duty on Twitch. We’ll continue to keep you posted on any updates from the organization.