IN New Orleans last Sunday night, LeBron James and Zion Williamson put on a show for the ages that displayed the best of both the present and the future of the national Basketball Association (NBA).

“The King” finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 122-114 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, despite Williamson’s career-high 35 points plus seven rebounds.

This was their second-ever meeting in less than a week and both encounters resulted in a Lakers win (giving them a 4-0 record against the Pelicans this season). And, while they didn’t exchange any pleasantries following the first encounter, things were a lot different this time around.

After the final buzzer, the two ‘human-highlights’ shared a few words and an embrace on the court.

What LeBron actually said to the rookie remains their secret, but one can only conclude that words of wisdom and encouragement dominated the exchange.

That particular scene on the court and activities surrounding sports in general (but professional sports in particular), have added to the wave of concerns regarding the potential spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), especially in large gatherings.

The National Basketball Association sent a memo to all teams last Sunday advising players to opt for fist bumps instead of high-fives when interacting with fans (and, by extension, each other).

The memo also advised players to steer clear of borrowing items like markers, balls, and jerseys from fans when signing autographs. While some have heeded the advice, most players (and coaches) have shown scant regard for the advisory.

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have reportedly been consulting with the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and infectious-disease experts for advice and direction.

Among this, larger concerns surround the planned combines, on-site workouts and international scouting events that could become more limited in scope, or even be cancelled altogether: The Global Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, in April and the NBA draft combine in Chicago in May are set to host hundreds of players, coaches, front office personnel, and medical staff.

This move by the NBA is in line with the actions by many organising bodies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Dozens of international sport events have been adjusted, cancelled, or postponed around the world amid the outbreak,which has now infected more than 90,000 people and killed 3,000-plus, the vast majority in China.

The Chinese gymnastics team was forced to pull out of the World Cup in Melbourne last month because of an Australian ban on foreign nationals travelling from China, despite none of the delegation showing symptoms. China’s men’s tennis team also withdrew from the Davis Cup World Group I tie against Romania, scheduled for March 6-7 in the eastern Romanian city of Piatra Neamt, due to similar restrictions.

The World Athletics Indoor Championships, a key warm-up event for track and field Olympic athletes, was due to be held in the Chinese city of Nanjing from March 13-15 but has been postponed to next year while the F1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, will no longer take place on April 19 and no alternative date has been set.

The Summer Olympic Games have naturally been one of the biggest concerns in the wake of the virus. Amplified by the fact that it is scheduled for July and August in Tokyo, in close proximity to China. For now, things are proceeding as planned since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is banking on the containment of the virus before this summer. However, the Games could theoretically be postponed to later in 2020 under the contract with the IOC or next year (with special permission).

International and club football are also feeling the effects.

In Italy, five top-flight league games scheduled over the weekend were postponed (including Juventus versus Inter Milan) after hundreds of cases were detected in the country, while some English clubs have banned players from shaking hands at their training grounds.

South Korea has postponed the start of its league season, and Japan played just one round of league games in late February before halting the season.

Switzerland’s top league has also been put on hold until at least March 23, after clubs refused to play to empty stands, and Iran suspended games in the top three divisions until April 2. In China, the league season was slated to start on February 22, but has not yet begun and the Asian Champions League games involving Chinese teams have been postponed until April. Additionally, China’s World Cup qualifying games this month will be moved to Thailand and be played without fans.

There’s no telling how far-reaching the COVID-19 effects will be on sporting events but the JustBet odds offerings for all the weekend NBA games will be available on game dates along with those for all other available popular sports and events. Please visit one of the over 100 locations (or visit mobile.justbetja.com ) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…Get in the GAME!