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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted on Saturday that they are still uncertain when the league will return to play. The NBA is still unsure of when they will be able to make a decision says Silver.
2020 Season
The commissioner says that the NBA is still intending on resuming the 2020 season. Without a timetable on when they will be able to start, Silver predicts that the season will extend well-past June.
Usually, the season ends early to mid-June — the 2019 NBA Finals concluded June 13. If this were to happen, major overlaps between the MLB, NFL and NHL seasons could occur if all of the leagues recommence without collaboration. This would cause strains on many aspects of the professional sports franchises.
Unfortunately, no definite conclusion has come for any of the major leagues. The idea of hosting games without fans has been a popular proposal for the industry. Even with taking away the large crowds of fans, though, there are still health concerns. These situations can still compromise the well-being of the athletes, coaches, referees, media and other staff. In order to ensure that nobody involved is at a higher risk of getting ill an extensive number of tests and precautions would need to be put in place. This could be expensive and time consuming for each industry that is not making a profit from ticket sales and in-stadium sales such as merchandise and concessions.
Still Want to Play
Many players have expressed an interest in still playing this season. Commissioner Silver points out as well that by continuing play, the players could be assisting in the promotion of the economy. The players cannot be asked to risk their health and well-being for the sake of bringing in money, he continues.
Adjustments
The uncertainty surrounding how and when to transition back into normal life continues. Only seven states have passed requirements for people in public spaces to wear masks so far. With 723,605 confirmed cases, it is still unknown if the US has peaked in regards to COVID-19 yet.
More than 110 retailers have closed their doors to the public for safety purposes. Most businesses and restaurants are operating with contactless services or not at all. “Non-essential” workers are being sent home and there is still no timetable for when doors will reopen.
Efforts to make this transition easier are still being made. For many people, sports are an essential part of entertainment and everyday life and several of the leagues have been putting in efforts to maintain that normalcy. The NBA is remaining active on Twitter with Q&As with fans, players and sports broadcasters while maintaining social distancing.
#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson (@TurnerSportsEJ) continues tonight at 7:00 PM ET on @NBA with guest Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41). pic.twitter.com/fSwLEoqz7x
— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2020
