The NBA suspension, which has been put in place due to the coronavirus outbreak, has left employees of the arenas in which each of the 30 teams plays without pay for at least a month. In the wake of the news, many players have pledged to donate money in order to keep these employees financially stable.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson and Blake Griffin are all among the NBA stars who have donated money, according to CNN.

Antetokounmpo, a Milwaukee Bucks player, announced via Twitter that he will be donating $100,000 for the staff of the Fiserv Forum.

“It’s bigger than basketball! And during this tough time I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my teammates lives easier,” he wrote.

It’s bigger than basketball! And during this tough time I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my teammates lives easier. Me and my family pledge to donate $100,000 to the Fiserv Forum staff. We can get through this together! ????????

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) March 13, 2020

Antetokounmpo was the example for the rest of the Bucks lineup, as later in the day teammate Khris Middleton also pledged $100,000. By the next morning, every player on the team donated money to ensure the staff was taken care of, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Williamson, a rookie on the New Orleans Pelicans, pledged to cover the salaries of the Smoothie King Center employees for the next 30 days.

“These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization,” he wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus.”

View this post on Instagram

The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center. These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus. My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis. This is an incredibly resilient city full of some of the most resilient people, but sometimes providing a little extra assistance can make things a little easier for the community.

A post shared by Zion Williamson (@zionwilliamson) on Mar 13, 2020 at 2:24pm PDT

Griffin, a forward for the Detroit Pistons, has donated $100,000 to the employees of the Little Caesars Arena.

“These people make our lives easier every night, now it is our turn to do the same,” he wrote on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) on Mar 13, 2020 at 8:09pm PDT

back at you. just following suit https://t.co/eQHrdodond

— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin23) March 13, 2020

Not only are players donating to the staff that keeps the games running, but also to hospitals and relief funds.

Rudy Gobert, who was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19, is donating $200,000 to the employee relief fund at Vivint Smart Home Arena. He is also contributing $100,000 to each coronavirus-related social service in Utah and Oklahoma City and about $110,000 to coronavirus relief in his birth country of France.

"I know there are countless ways that people have been impacted. These donations are a small token that reflect my appreciation and support for all those impacted and are the first of many steps I will take to try and make a positive difference, while continuing to learn more about COVID-19 and educate others," Gobert said in a statement.

Golden State Warriors owners, players and coaches have banded together and will donate $1 million to a disaster relief fund for Chase Center employees.

Warriors ownership, players and coaches to contribute $1 million to disaster relief fund for Chase Center employees pic.twitter.com/42nYAalO9t

— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) March 14, 2020

"The men and women who work our games at Chase Center are critical in providing an incredible game-night experience for our fans, including of course, the popcorn vendors," said Warriors star Stephen Curry. "As players, we wanted to do something, along with our ownership and coaches, to help ease the pain during this time.”

Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns said on Sunday that he will be donating $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic to increase availability for testing of the virus, reports Bleacher Report.

This is why I will be donating $100K to support these efforts. Thank you to the Mayo Clinic workers and all healthcare workers who are working around the clock to treat us. You are our heroes.
We’re all in this together, let’s protect ourselves and the community around us.

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) March 16, 2020

In a press release, the Mayo Clinic said Towns’ donation will allow testing capacity, which is currently at 200 per day, to increase to 1,000 per day.

“Our team has been working around the clock for the past month to develop a test for COVID-19,” said Dr. William Morice II, chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. “We are blown away at Karl’s gesture to help us fast-track offering testing to more patients across Minnesota and the nation.”

Karl-Anthony Towns is donating $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic to help with coronavirus test development. The clinic says that "Mayo expects this donation to help increase testing capacity from 200 per day to over 1,000 tests per day in the coming weeks." pic.twitter.com/wOCSbkINjm

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) March 16, 2020

Some of the 30 NBA teams have announced they will be covering the hourly wages for employees, including the Washington Wizards, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks, reports Sports Illustrated.

The suspension will last at least 30 days, but recent reports show that it may last until mid-June.

Rudy-Gobert

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week