While the thunder of Bike Week rolled on some 50 miles away in Daytona Beach, Orlando’s NBA home — Amway Center — sat silent and empty.
The Magic should have been running onto the Amway floor to the sounds of cheering fans and Paul Porter’s voice filtering through the arena as they warmed up to take on the Chicago Bulls.
Clicking turnstiles and playoff races were replaced by weeks and then months of uncertainty as the pandemic put the league — and eventually the entire sports world — on hold.
When the NBA sent out its official press release March 11 to temporarily suspend its season, the message sent a ripple effect through the sports world and confirmed what many had feared but hoped could be avoided.