Chinese Basketball Association teams have collectively decided that foreign players who refuse to return to China will be banned for three years, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.
The CBA season will resume April 15th and will be played without spectators. All foreign players will have to quarantine for 14 days and then get tested for Covid-19, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports.
The games will only be played in two locations, Qingdao and Dongguan, Carchia adds. China considered going to a local-player-only format but ultimately decided to continue in its usual format. Teams will reportedly not be allowed to sign new foreign players to replace those who choose not to return, Givony adds.
We have more international notes:
- Pro games have resumed without fans in Japan, though not without complications, Givony reports in a separate story. One game was postponed after a referee came down with a fever. Another team didn’t suit up this weekend after three American players were diagnosed with fevers. The league had been on hiatus since mid-February. The South Korean league, the KBL, has games scheduled without spectators at the end of this month after suspending play in late February, Givony adds.
- Greece’s EuroLeague team Olympiacos allowed its foreign players to leave the country and return home, Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays. Team activities are suspended for the next few weeks, Lupo adds. Dwight Buycks, Wade Baldwin and Willie Reed are among the former NBA players listed on the Olympiacos roster.
- Most of the Americans playing in Italy have fled the country while others around Europe have taken a wait-and-see approach, according to Jeff Greer of The Athletic. Virtually all of the leagues of Europe have suspended or cancelled their seasons. Guard Peyton Siva, who played 24 games for the Pistons in the 2013/14 season, chose to stay in Germany, where he was playing this season.
Boy I would flee Italy too if I was there, they are making the biggest mess ever with all that lockdown, it is making it the worst country affected, allowing life to go on as normal as possible is the way to go, Italy’s way is the worst & to make it even worst EU is following Italy’s lead… So glad don’t live in the EU.
I read that San Francisco is on lockdown too. You stay at home except for essential activities. Not sure what that means but sounds like it’s not as bad as Italy. But still bad. Imagine if it gets to the point where they are arresting people for being outside their home?
They can come get me while I’m getting up shots in my driveway with my boys. I’ll ask if they wanna play 21