Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr Stress the Importance of Social Distancing Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

For so many, the NBA is an escape -- a cultural staple that we could tune into no matter what is happening in our personal lives. Rain or shine, good day or bad day, we knew that we could welcome the world’s biggest hoop stars into our living rooms every night from October to June.

Then Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Video of his carelessness went viral and the threat of the coronavirus became apparent; the fact that unnecessary risk puts everyone -- even a rich and famous 27-year-old athlete -- in harm’s way.

Then the NBA season became the first domino to fall in the new normal, postponing the season indefinitely in the face of a pandemic. Shortly after, other American professional sports leagues began to follow suit. Concerts and theaters made the same decision. Then schools and businesses made their adjustments as well.

Finally, after weeks and weeks of pleas from health officials and voices from the frontlines in places most afflicted by the virus to take crucial precautions, people finally started to listen. 

Though inaction and misinformation from the White House have us fighting an uphill battle, public health officials have emphasized the power of social distancing and isolation and how it can help us combat this pandemic. 

An outbreak like the coronavirus spreads exponentially. One infected person going about their regular business could transmit it to two other people on the bus. Those two people -- along with the first -- can spread it to another two each at work and, before long, the virus has spread to a large number of people.

Quite frankly, the math is scary. This growth, however, could be significantly slowed down by social isolation. Avoiding public spaces and close contact with crowds is our best chance.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has been using social media to share and retweet experts and analysts calling for a widespread commitment to social distancing. Superstar Stephen Curry took to Twitter to encourage his large following to do their part by staying inside and following the recommended best practices.

“As best you can, social distance yourself and we can flatten the curve and get rid of this virus as soon as possible,” Curry told his 14.1M followers.

In a time where the credibility of our most powerful elected officials have gone out the window, it’s important that our cultural leaders -- like Kerr and Curry -- spread proper information and guidance. They have voices that people listen to and we need everyone to get on board right now.

As a world-class 32-year-old athlete with nearly limitless resources, Curry isn’t part of one of the groups most at-risk for serious coronavirus-related complications including death. As a pretty healthy 25-year-old, I’m not really in one of those groups either.

But my grandparents are.  My uncle with asthma is. The elderly relatives of someone I may come into contact with are as well.  

I’m, admittedly, scared of contracting it myself, but I’m most scared of spreading it to someone extremely vulnerable.

Social distancing requires all of us to think outside of just ourselves.

The official Warriors channels wrote that “Strength in Numbers was never just about a group of players on a court...It’s about selflessness, resilience, and poise -- especially in challenging times.”

According to the data and information we have, a large number of us could contract coronavirus and walk away fine. A significant portion of that group might not even show symptoms at any point.

But we can’t only consider just how we could survive -- it’s vital that we consider others. Inconveniencing ourselves by canceling plans or skipping out on brunch could, quite literally, save lives. Maybe even a lot of them.

If we -- namely young people -- continue to live our lives normally, we are going to turn this already-horrendous pandemic into something worse. Good health isn’t invincibility and a lack of symptoms isn’t proof -- they are sources of false confidence that lead to irrational behavior. 

Without social distancing, the virus will spread. If it spreads, more people will get sick. If more people get sick, the hospitals will eventually run out of room and resources to care for those in need and the situation spirals out of control even further.

Steve Kerr and Steph Curry understand the gravity of the moment we’re living in.

The virus has dominated in other arenas. It is now here and it’s at halfcourt. We can give it a free run to the rim by going to bars and parties. Or, we can completely take it out of the game by trapping it at the logo by working together to social distance ourselves and flatten the curve.

Let’s do our best to avoid going out when we don’t need to, keeping a distance from others, and stopping the spread. Let’s protect each other’s grandparents, friends, and loved ones. Let’s give our overworked and courageous nurses and doctors a chance. 

Let’s protect ourselves during this new reality so that, sooner rather than later, we can get back to our old one: the one where the only isolation Curry is doing is on the basketball court.