OKC Thunder commit financial assistance for Chesapeake event staff

The OKC Thunder join their fellow franchise partners in providing financial assistance to event employees who work at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

It might have taken a while but the OKC Thunder announced they will ensure event staff working at Chesapeake Energy Arena will be paid.

As the press release notes the event staff were scheduled for seven additional regular-season games and will be compensated for those matches.

For those wondering why this announcement seemingly took so long it might be because the Thunder works in conjunction with ASM Global.

Again, as per the press release, ASM Global was contracted by the city directly to operate the day to day activities and events at Chesapeake.  That factor would’ve required mutual conversations between the franchise and the company to determine the logistics involved for staff payment.

With this commitment by the OKC Thunder, it means every single franchise is paying their event staff.

In a March 14th, ESPN article by Ohm Youngmisuk and Dave McMenamin the duo noted the first 15 NBA  franchises who announced they would pay their arena staff. They included both LA teams, the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards.

In addition, the Cleveland Cavaliers advised they would match Kevin Love’s $100k donation as did the Milwaukee Bucks (advised they would match Giannis Antetokounmopo $100k donation).

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is paying his event staff but also is committing funds elsewhere in the community.

Specifically, Cuban is setting a strong example as the Mavericks are paying for daycare of health care workers. And, the Dallas owner is also encouraging those who can to volunteer and donate.

Since the initial report, the other half of the league franchises also stepped up to pay their event staff.

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• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Many people (not just in basketball) are feeling the pinch as COVID-19 is resulting in people working from home. Other industries may have to shut down temporarily which means employees for these companies will be economically impacted.

Let’s all do our best to help one another and if you are among those who can donate to help others who are being affected the most please do so.

T.I. noted some resources in a recent post which OKC residents may find useful as well as the main sites to bookmark in case you have any questions or need guidance.

As always, stay safe and healthy.

For more information on the coronavirus please note the following sites:

Oklahoma State Department Help Center: 877-215-8336
Oklahoma State – dedicated coronavirus site: click this link
The World Health Organization – click this link 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – click this link