The effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the NBA has been unprecedented. The NBA generates nearly $1.2 million from ticket sales per regular game.

However, the revenue that was generated was zero owing to the pandemic, sealing a massive source of income for the league. The NBA lost nearly $500 million during the Finals, as there were no fans in attendance.

To counter this, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob recently presented a plan to the NBA and state officials to reopen Chase Center in San Francisco at 50% capacity for the upcoming NBA season. Lacob, in conversation with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, said that his plan is to use the rapid PCR.

How will the Rapid PCR help NBA teams?

Rapid PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are one of the most efficient ways to test for Coronavirus. Rapid PCR can deliver the results in 15 minutes itself.

The NBA and the NFL used a similar test, that is PCR. Even though this method was accurate, it took around 24 hours to deliver the results.

Many teams in the NBA are reluctant to open the arena to fans. Recently the Lakers announced that they will play behind closed doors and most teams are likely to follow suit.

The Warriors’ owner claimed that he is ready to spend a fortune to ensure the usage of instant PCR and said, “I not only want to get this done and show the world how we can do it now, I’m willing to spend the money to do it.”

The biggest problem that the Warriors might face is getting approval for the same from the government officials. San Francisco recently re-established protocols in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, in the off-chance that the government officials do allow the Warriors to host fans at a reduced capacity, it will come as a sigh of relief to almost all NBA teams. For this will bring in a significant amount of revenue from ticket sales. What’s more, this might also ease the financial pressure resting on the league’s shoulders going into the 2021 season.