Lakers' LeBron James Says He'll Never Be Comfortable Playing Games Without Fans

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James says NBA games will never feel the same without fans as the league prepares to tip off the 2020-21 season this month amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"It'll never be something that's comfortable, something I can be accustomed to or something that will feel regular," James told Mark Medina of USA Today. "When I first started playing organized sports, [fans] were there. It's all a part of it. The fans are a part of this game."

In March, James took a strong stance against the idea of playing with nobody in attendance when COVID-19 first started to sweep across the United States.

"We play games without the fans? Nah, that's impossible," he told reporters. "I ain't playing if I ain't got the fans in the crowd. That's who I play for. I play for my teammates, and I play for the fans. That's what it's all about. So if I show up to an arena and there ain't no fans in there, I ain't playing."

The four-time NBA MVP changed his opinion as the seriousness of the pandemic became more clear. The Lakers went on to capture the 2020 championship as the league finished its season inside a "bubble" at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

Although NBA teams are returning to their home arenas for the new campaign, most teams are planning to start with no fans in the stands, while others will host a very limited number of spectators, per Medina.

James said he eagerly awaits the day a full crowd of thousands is back to complete the game-day atmosphere.

"I would never want to get fully committed to that or fully comfortable with that because I believe at some point we will get back to it," he said. "Hopefully I'm still playing. Hopefully I'm still in uniform. That's the hope, obviously. I believe it will happen sooner than later."

The 72-game regular season is scheduled to run through mid-May, while the playoffs will end in mid-July. Based on developments around a COVID-19 vaccine, it's possible fans will be back in the stands as James and the Lakers attempt to defend their title next summer.