Basketball fans awaiting the start of the 2020-21 NBA season on Dec. 22 shouldn’t expect full-capacity crowds, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

Fauci told Yahoo Sports on Monday that unrestricted capacities at sports stadiums will be among “the last thing[s] that you’re gonna see.”

Fans or no fans?

The Utah Jazz are the lone NBA team that has announced a plan to have fans for the upcoming season. Vivint Arena will allow 1,500 fans in the lower bowl only with limited seating on the suite level, representing roughly 8.3% of full capacity. The Golden State Warriors announced a plan to allow fans, but San Francisco’s Department of Public Health rejected it.

Five teams have stated they won’t allow fans to start the season:

• Charlotte Hornets
• Denver Nuggets
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Oklahoma City Thunder

The remaining teams have yet to announce their fan policies.

Hopeful For Fall

With so many unknowns surrounding COVID-19 restrictions and potential vaccines, Fauci also does not expect full, 20,000-seat NBA arenas by the time the playoffs conclude next July. 

When asked about the possibility of full NFL stadiums next September, however, Fauci said: “Oh, that’s possible. I think that’s possible.” 

The NFL’s leader in average home attendance is the Dallas Cowboys at 26,466 through six games; last season, the team led the league by averaging 90,929 fans per game — a 70.8% drop year-over-year.

Kyle Krause, billionaire CEO and chairman of the Krause Group — which owns the midwest convenience store chain Kum & Go — is stepping down from his role in order to help run Parma Calcio, the Serie A soccer club the group acquired in September. 

• The Iowa-based company bought a 90% stake in the 106-year-old club in a deal that reportedly values it at more than $120 million.

The Big Cheese: Krause will remain the sole owner of the group, but pass on Kum & Go management duties to his son on Jan. 1. The chain has 400 stores across 11 states that accounted for the bulk of Krause Group’s reported $2.8 billion in 2019 revenue. 

Krause’s business portfolio also includes two Italian wineries, a gasoline transportation service and Des Moines Menace, a USL League Two team.

His takeover of Parma Calcio made it the fifth North American-owned Serie A team. The others include AS Roma, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Bologna.

• Serie A is also getting more American involvement as Advent International and CVC Capital Partners purchased a 10% stake in a new company created to handle the league’s media rights for $2 billion.

Kevin Durant and NBA 2K have a new long-term partnership that will see the two-time NBA champion and his business ventures collaborate with the video game on various projects. 

On the surface level, Durant is serving as the face of NBA 2K Mobile Season 3, which dropped today. But the partnership will go deeper:

• Durant and his Thirty Five Ventures team will work with 2K on future game development, exclusive content and in-game merch.
• His sports business platform, The Boardroom, will work with 2K on original content. 
• The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and 2K’s charitable arm, 2K Foundations, will work together on court renovations and other programming to “inspire underprivileged youth around the world.”

In addition to Durant, a handful of other players including LeBron James, Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo have had basic partnerships with the game that include appearances at events and various social media and in-game activations. James and business partner Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment also produced a story arc in 2K20’s MyCareer mode.

Durant, who doesn’t do traditional endorsement deals, has invested in over 30 companies through Thirty Five Ventures alongside partner Rich Kleiman. 

35’s Other Ventures:

• Invested in Postmates, The Players’ Tribune, wearable fitness tracker Whoop, stock trading platform Robinhood and sports network Overtime, among others.
• Owns 5% of the Philadelphia Union.
• Executive produced Netflix documentary “Q Ball,” which explores the San Quentin Prison basketball team.