Rumors

The plane took a hard left, bending toward the decimated engine. Niang thought: Are we going down? Across the Boeing 757-232, everyone grabbed phones to call loved ones. One problem: no service. WiFi hadn’t been flicked on because the plane hadn’t risen to 10,000 feet. Too high for phone service. Too low for WiFi. Niang’s teammates and staffers yelled desperately for the flight attendants to turn on WiFi. Niang thought about Ingles, who has a wife and young twins, a boy and a girl. Some players managed to reach loved ones through iMessage.

TrueHoop

For three days, Jennifer Hale had to isolate inside her room on the 20th floor of the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio. She did her taxes. She got some work done, though the WiFi was spotty because so many players were using it to stream video games. Three times a day, someone knocked on her door to deliver a brown paper bag full of food. “All the little things, you miss,” Hale said. “For instance, choosing your own meals. You get what they put in that bag.”

New Orleans Times-Picayune

“I’ve witnessed dozens of student-athletes scramble during this pandemic to get laptops to take home,” says George Lynch, former NBA player and head coach of Clark Atlanta University’s men’s basketball team. “Many of them were using school resources and now they have to find their own. Some are even going back to homes where there isn’t WiFi to support their school work. Something has to be done to assist them.”

North Dallas Gazette

Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers, former Cavs teammate: D-Wade has said it before and I hate that I have to quote him. But when we go international, which is obviously always Toronto, he won’t turn on his phone. It’s only WiFi. He’s the cheapest fucking guy. He’s like, “That’s bullshit. I won’t turn on my phone.” He won’t turn on data roaming. He’ll only go when we’re either at the arena or at the Shangri-La, “Hey, what’s the WiFi?” Internationally and in Toronto, he’ll never pay for it.

The Athletic

Dozens of workers spent Monday afternoon furiously attempting to finish work on the new 76ers Fieldhouse in time for the venue to host its first game. Wednesday’s game between the Sixers' NBA G league team the Delaware Blue Coats and the Memphis Hustle is already sold out, with 2,300 fans expected to get their first glimpse of the 161,000-square foot multi-sport facility located near Wilmington’s riverfront. The new complex will feature amenities that include free public WiFi, pop-up food options, and a small kid zone. There also is a VIP balcony overlooking the brand-new court that will be available to courtside ticket holders.

Philadelphia Inquirer

The players' locker room has been renovated, the Oracle Arena food is being reviewed, the sound system has been improved, and Wi-Fi has been added for all fans. Plans are being made for a high-definition enhancement to the scoreboard, and conversations have started about music, mascots and improving mobile/social networking options. "I'm still super enthusiastic, completely optimistic and fanatically committed," Guber said. "There are millions and millions of moving parts, and many of them were built by the lowest bidder. "It's a very daunting task, but we want to put banners in the ramparts, and we want the fans to feel like they're part of the ownership."

San Francisco Chronicle