Although the coronavirus continues to spread through the league, the NBA hasn’t given any thought to canceling its season, according to Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin (Twitter link from Will Guillory of The Athletic). Griffin made the comment tonight on the team’s Twitter feed during a rebroadcast of a game from earlier this season.
The number of NBA players testing positive for the virus grew from two to 10 over the past week. Three members of the Sixers organization and a member of the Nuggets organization have also tested positive.
Griffin’s comment meshes with a statement by NBA commissioner Adam Silver earlier this week that he remains optimistic that the season will be concluded in some form.
There’s more basketball-related coronavirus news:
- Celtics guard Marcus Smart, one of the players who tested positive, appeared on CNN yesterday to urge people to take the virus seriously, writes Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports. Smart said he and his teammates were tested after returning from their last road trip and they have all remained quarantined. “Be alert to what’s going on and take the precautions to not only protect yourself,” he said. “By protecting yourself, you protect others.”
- Panathinaikos is allowing American players to return home because of the virus outbreak in Greece, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. Jimmer Fredette, the most recognizable name on the roster, came back to the United States several days ago. Former NBA forward Wesley Johnson is also part of the team.
- USA Track and Field is calling for the Summer Olympics to be postponed because of the pandemic, reports CNN. “Unfortunately, while our world class athletes are willing to push themselves to their athletic limits in pursuit of Olympic success, the likelihood that they will be able to properly train in a safe and adequate environment, and replicate the excellence we have all come to expect, does not appear likely in the midst of this global crisis,” USATF chief executive Max Siegel wrote. “As we have learned our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness is among our highest priorities.”
I will be shocked if the nba season Isn’t canceled.
Agreed, NBA will be cancelled at some point and same with the other sports including MLB.
If China and South Korea can get back to sports so can we. Have you seen time square and the Vegas strip?? There is absolutely no scenario where this drags on past late May with all of us at home. The NBA wants to revamp their whole calander as it is so they will use this situation to do that.
‘There is absolutely no scenario where this drags on past late May”
Thanks, I feel so much better now that you’ve told me that.
It has been widely reported, on this site and other legitimate sites, that The best case scenario for the NBA would be restarting the league in June. So to say there is no way this extends past May is both wishful and inaccurate
The NBA can’t restart immediately. Of course with ramp ups and exhibition games it will take til June.
The NBA has obviously given thought to canceling its season. They just aren’t saying that publicly.
Why would they even think about it?
Because we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and cases in the US are increasing exponentially?
Ahhh, you mean the global pandemic of panic? Or is it the food shortage at the groceries… or the way the governments are killing the economy with lockdowns?