Ever since the NBA was shut down on March 11th, players have been worried about what would happen to their paychecks. Of course, most people don't get paid when they don't show up to work, however, NBA players have their own union which allows them to be protected in extreme circumstances such as a pandemic. 

It remains to be seen whether or not the season will have to be canceled but in the interim, the NBA and NBPA have been looking to strike a deal in regards to wages. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, both sides have reached a compromise. This deal will see players receive 25 percent less per paycheck, starting on May 15th.

In response to the coronavirus shutting down the NBA season for now, Zion Williamson announced last night that he'll cover the salaries of all Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days.

Taking to Instagram, Zion wrote: ”The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center," Williamson wrote. "These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus.”

Williamson said the donation was inspired by his mother, and is a small way to express his support and appreciation for their hard work.

“My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis,” he wrote.

The Pelicans responded to Williamson's actions, tweeting out:

Over the past decade, women's sports have grown quite a bit as people begin to expand their horizons and check out new leagues and teams. The WNBA has enjoyed some growth over the past few years and recently, the players were given the opportunity to negotiate a brand new collective bargaining agreement. Fans were interested to see if the players could get more money considering all the strides that have been made over the last little while.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the WNBA and its fans received some good news today. As of next season, the average salary will be six figures, for the first time ever. The official number is $130,000 while the top players will be able to make close to $500,000. There will also be a whole plethora of new opportunities, as outlined below.