10:11pm: The NBA said on today’s call that it plans to continue doing its homework over the next two-to-four weeks before making any decisions on whether to resume the season, Wojnarowski writes in his full report on today’s Board of Governors call. Sources tell ESPN that the league still isn’t sure exactly what a resumed season would look like or whether all 30 teams would participate.
The league office isn’t necessarily optimistic about rapid-response coronavirus testing becoming widely available over the next month, but will continue monitoring developments in testing types, as well as studying the trajectory of cases in reopening states and examining how other leagues that are restarting are handling positive tests, Woj adds.
Wojnarowski also reports that the NBA is hopeful that 22 of the league’s 30 teams will have their practice facilities reopened by next Monday.
9:36pm: There’s more optimism about the NBA resuming its season after commissioner Adam Silver concluded his call with the Board of Governors today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the conversation included significant detail on how other pro sports leagues are handling their respective returns.
Positive COVID-19 tests may not result in a re-suspension of the season. Woj adds that the discussion between Silver and the Board of Governors touched on how the league and players need to be comfortable with some positive tests. It remains to be seen how many positive tests would qualify as too many.
The league continues to look for ways to resume the campaign as safely as possible. Silver used the term “campus environment” when referring to what’s being called a bubble, Wojnarowski adds.
The NBPA has sent a memo to agents signaling the belief that players want to finish out the campaign. Many of the league’s stars are unified on that front as they look to find a way to resume play.
Adam silver was in quarantine years b4 corona
lol more like his brain was
This all sounds great and I really hope the NBA does come back in some form or another. And it’s good to hear they have a plan in place that wouldn’t halt the season immediately upon a positive test amongst a player/coach. However the one thing that has crossed my mind is — what happens if a player on a team gets the virus and gives it to a handful of his teammates? Like then what happens — if that team is missing say 5+ players… how could they possibly continue to play? Would they just continue as normal and that team would just be severely undermanned? hopefully nothing like this occurs but there is the chance that what happens is literally one or two teams end up with the virus and then what? do those games get postpones? forfeited? It would be a really rough situation for that team(s) if it were to happen!
Exactly. What happens if you get to the Finals, and Giannis, Lebron, and AD are all out? What happens if it happens earlier in the playoffs, and Orlando and Memphis are the only healthy playoff teams?
Let’s not hope for the best (an nba return) and then hope for the worst (multiple players on a team “infected”) “just to see what happens”.
Looking forward to a safe return in July!
I have used that phrase, but not for getting sick. Just, assuming my team is out, then see what happens in the game as a neutral.
This stoppage will bring new elements– players out of shape, or who don’t really care, and the arguments that will bring. Things that can hardly be imagined now.
I’ve been saying from the start, some players will be missing for whatever reason. Vanity, not death, will be the cause for this group. That just means someone else will likely win. 29 will lose out regardless.
Playing this year they are dreaming. Good job keeping the NBA in front and center but NOT HAPPENING
Look if they are all tested. Then they can be quarantined while playing. So no one should bring virus in. No fans. Just hope they televise all gms. Magic have a 3 gm lead. So they should be in. Grizz only have 1 1/2 gm lead. I guess considering the times. It’s best just to in playoffs now. It’s not like the 8th seed is going to win. No matter who it is. Year they went on strike. They only played 50 gm season. This yr they played 67 already.
You have the refs, coaching staff, training staff/medical staff, scorekeepers and the commentators. Then you have to quarantine them all along with the all hotel employees where they will be staying. The odds of it not spreading again can’t be good
Not too mention that all of the vendors have to be tested while making sure that the testing for the rest of the population isn’t affected. Lots of moving variables that have to be worked out for all sports to work. The players want the season to continue otherwise they don’t get paid.
NBA players are a reactionary group. As soon as Joey Jump Shot comes down with the virus, they will run like cockroaches when the lights come on. They’ll play but for how long…Also, it doesn’t matter what the players want, it’s what LeBron, Chris Paul, and Kyrie tell them what they want.
Seems like there’s a narrative that people want basketball to return but also wants someone getting sick just to add the drama of “what happens then?”… and that’s sick. I understand the hypothetical in the whole thing, but it seems as many WANT someone to get sick, just to see how it plays out from there. It’s a shame how people inherently hate that these young athletes make so much money.
@jump shot!
You are sooo spot on, a lot of sick (mentally) people out there, right?