Select NBA practice facilities reopened Friday, but a conference call between the league office and the players’ union provided little clarity on professional basketball’s return-to-play …
Select NBA practice facilities reopened Friday, but a conference call between the league office and the players’ union provided little clarity on professional basketball’s return-to-play timeline amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers became the first teams to allow players to use their facilities for individual workouts in accordance with loosening stay-at-home restrictions in Ohio and Oregon, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told the players that a decision on resuming the season still could be more than a month away, according to multiple people with knowledge of the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
During the hour-long call, which included National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts and President Chris Paul, Silver said the NBA remains committed to resuming play once it’s deemed safe. The hope is to hold the usual playoff format, with four rounds of best-of-seven series, by using single-site locations such as Las Vegas and Orlando to provide the safest environment and reduce the need for travel. Silver acknowledged the possibility that teams fighting to get into the playoff picture might not get the opportunity to participate in the postseason if the shutdown continues deep into the summer.
Silver, according to people on the call, told the players that the pandemic was an unprecedented financial challenge for the league, with fan attendance accounting for 40 percent of the NBA’s revenue.
