The NBA and NBPA have officially finalized their plan for the resumption of the 2019/20 season, the league announced today in a press release. The announcement confirms the details that were previously reported on the single-site return to play, which will take place at Walt Disney World in Florida.
As part of the deal, the NBA has entered into an agreement with Walt Disney World that will make the Arena, the Field House, and Visa Athletic Center at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex the venues for the remaining games, which will tip off on July 30.
The schedule for the eight “seeding games” for the 22 teams participating in the restart will be announced on Friday night, according to the NBA. That announcement will include the national television schedule for those games.
The NBA’s announcement on its finalized plan comes on the same day that the state of Florida announced it has confirmed 8,942 new cases of the coronavirus, blowing away the previous record of 5,500 new cases in a day, set on Wednesday.
Those rising numbers are a major cause for concern, particularly since Disney staffers will be moving in and out of the NBA’s campus environment, but the league is confident in its 113-page manual detailing the health and safety protocols that will govern the return of the season.
“The rigorous program, which addresses risks related to COVID-19 and focuses on the well-being of players, coaches, officials and staff, was developed in consultation with public health experts, infectious disease specialists and government officials,” the NBA said in statement.
For more details on the NBA’s restart plan, be sure to check out our full primer.
Good to know tv schedule today
Will hotel staff leave the bubble during the first 6 weeks?
Allowing Disney staff to leave the bubble is a pretty big weakness in the plan. At the same time, NBA is doing a great job overall and already going so far above and beyond, So I don’t want to nitpick.
It could be worse, they could be completely YOLOing it like MLB is.
It could be worse is little consolation for those of us with family members being relegated to the bubble (and not for millions). Basketball is not an essential service, let alone in a state with 9000 new cases today. This is all because the NBA cares more for money than health. Every reopening criteria and piece of data they wanted to see to resume the season, is out the window. No data seems to matter
@burger425…
You make your point a zillion posts ago, are you gonna keep ramming it down our throats? Just asking, no offence intended.
No one is being held there at gunpoint against their will. I don’t know exactly who you are referring to but anyone who doesn’t want to work can simply not do that.