Basketball Persists in Mexico Amid the Pandemic

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The day before Antonio Álvarez’s home debut for the Astros de Jalisco, his hometown basketball team, the power forward waited in a hotel room in Guadalajara under strict isolation protocols, listening to occasional fireworks. Outside, Mexican Independence Day celebrations raged for those ignoring the government’s social distancing guidelines. Álvarez said his family was at home, electing not to partake in the festivities because of the surging coronavirus outbreak.

His family often watched him compete on the court while he was growing up in Guadalajara, the Jalisco state capital. But now, even though he was playing in Mexico’s highest professional basketball league and representing Jalisco, the coronavirus pandemic meant that his family couldn’t watch him in person, instead having to follow along from their home on the other side of Guadalajara.

“It’s a bit weird to be so close to my house, but I can’t go there,” Álvarez, 21, said in Spanish. He added, “To have my family close, but they can’t be there in the arena — it’s a difficult situation, but it’s the best that we can do at this time to keep our families and the team safe.”

In early September, the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional launched a shortened season, even though the country had been hit hard by the pandemic. While its popularity doesn’t come close to that of Mexico’s top soccer league, the L.N.B.P’s top players are well-known figures, especially those who also play on the Mexican national team. The league’s games are usually raucous events with near-full arenas.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/sports/basketball/mexico-basketball.html