Lakers to start 2020-21 season without fans in attendance

The Los Angeles Lakers will begin their championship defense without fans in attendance at Staples Center, the team announced Wednesday, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Games will be staged without in-person attendance "until further notice," the team stated in its release.

The Lakers haven't played a game with fans in attendance since a home contest against the Brooklyn Nets on March 10 - just one day before the NBA began a lengthy hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only select individuals were allowed to view games in-person in the league's Disney World bubble when the NBA season resumed in July. Players' family members were only able to join them in Orlando following the first round of the playoffs.