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The NBA season will begin in Orlando on July 31. Fans everywhere are very exciting for the league’s return. However, some players are having mixed feelings.
Sources: Kyrie Irving led a call of 80-plus NBA players, including Chris Paul/Kevin Durant/Carmelo Anthony/Donovan Mitchell, and Irving and several players spoke up about not supporting resumed season due to nationwide unrest from social injustice/racism.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 13, 2020
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the players are divided into three groups on this issue.
Other players like Austin Rivers think coming back would actually help things. Several players think having a platform to create change during the season is more important than skipping the season all together.
Austin Rivers responds to Kyrie Irving being opposed to resuming the NBA season in Orlando. pic.twitter.com/D7A7jbpUE2
— ESPN (@espn) June 13, 2020
NBA players concerned about the bubble
Players are also worried about the effectiveness of the “bubble” in Orlando. Danny Green gave his opinion recently.
https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1272595261500600321
There is a group of NBA players that are thinking about sitting out over these concerns.
Windhorst gave voice to Green’s concerns. He mentioned he isn’t sure what the league will do if there’s a positive test.
Season will still resume despite concerns
Including Windhorst, there have been multiple reports that say basketball in Orlando will still happen. Windhorst talked about the incentives for the players.
What the schedule looks like
It all begins in six days with players reporting back to their home market. From there, teams will have a chance to add more players on June 22. It could feel a little bit like a mini free agency period. Next, training camps begin on June 30.
Finally, on July 7, the 22 teams participating will all fly to Orlando. The season will start on July 31. Each of the 22 teams will play eight games, and that will determine playoff seeding.
There’s also a window for a play in tournament if needed.
The first round of the playoffs will begin on August 17, the NBA Finals will start on September 30, and if necessary, Game 7 of the finals will be October 13.
Sound used in this story courtesy of ABCNewsCall.com and ESPN.
