Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today (video links) on Tuesday, league commissioner Adam Silver told Malika Andrews that, despite having an increasing number of its teams affected by outbreaks of COVID-19, the NBA has no intention of putting the 2021/22 season on hiatus.
“(There are) no plans to pause the season,” Silver said. “We’ve of course looked at all the options, but frankly, we’re having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now. … It seems for us that the right and responsible thing to do, taking all the factors into consideration, is to continue to play.”
As Silver explained, the NBA’s stance is that there’s no chance at this point of eradicating the virus, so the league and its teams will have to learn to “live with it.” The NBA and the players’ union recently agreed to tweak a handful of roster rules to make it easier for teams to sign replacements when players test positive for COVID-19, which should help avoid postponements.
Silver made several more interesting comments during his ESPN appearance. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Silver said that very few of the individuals around the NBA who have received a booster vaccination shot have experienced breakthrough cases, and most of those cases have been asymptomatic. Silver estimated that about 97% of NBA players are vaccinated, but only about 65% have been boosted — the league is hoping to push that number higher.
- Asked if the league has revisited the idea of mandatory vaccinations for players, Silver said it hasn’t been broached recently. “I’d rather focus on the 97% than the 3%,” Silver said, referring to the league’s vaccinated players. “Incidentally, many of the 3% have now gotten COVID, so they’ve developed antibodies. To me, the focus right now is on boosters for the 97% of players who have been vaccinated.”
- The NBA isn’t prepared to allow vaccinated players who have asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 to play, but is “actively” exploring ways to reduce the amount of time players have to spend in the protocols. “I think (medical experts are) already realizing that you can move away from the 10-day protocol when you have players who are vaccinated and boosted,” Silver said. “It seems that the virus runs through their systems faster. They become not just asymptomatic but – more importantly – they’re not shedding the virus anymore.”
- Most of the players testing positive this month have contracted the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to Silver. “It’s beyond dominant in the league right now,” he said. “We’re up probably around 90% of the cases right now that we’re sequencing are Omicron.”
The money train doesn’t stop.
They must love money. They can’t take a week off like the nhl ♂️♂️
We make money even if the product is trash.
I don’t know, personally I’ve been enjoying the G-leagers and older vets getting a run and some playing time.
Yeah, honestly it doesn’t bother me either.
Reminds me too much of the process sixer days. The only good thing is that there will probably be at least 1 or 2 dudes that come out of this being legitimate NBA players.
In this case, let’s just stop the hypocrisy and let everybody play unless you are too sick to play.
That’s not the answer, too many people are vurnerable to this disease that vaccination does no good as they have autoimmune deficiencies or they are older. I don’t think they should shut down the league but just stick with what they’re doing now. The NFL’s take on this is asinine and if I hadn’t quit watching years ago I’d stop watching now as of a result of their stance.
Pausing the league would be the most illogical thing they can do!… I mean it will never get any better than this, so scientists say, in 10, 20 years or whatever ain’t gonna be better, just live with it, the show must go on, no point in living live scared of any lil thing!
Scientists say it will get better, as more people build an immunity through vaccination and catching Covid combined with the mutations which should make it weaker over time. I mean the Spanish flu lost its potency over time it doesn’t kill millions of people in a year anymore.
No plans to pause the season
Politician speak for they’re about to pause the season and they’re gauging sentiment
Greed still in control of everything in life
Going into year 3. Unreal, so tired of this. Was really looking forward to Christmas games. Especially Hawks back at Garden. Now it’s a letdown. Still need a win, I guess.