NBA Hiatus May Extend Into June

The NBA’s hiatus could extend into June as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread across the country, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The CDC now recommends that events with 50-plus people be postponed or cancelled throughout the next eight weeks, which includes professional sports games. This timeline projects to last until mid-May at the very least.

As Wojnarowski reports, the CDC’s recommendation comes as several team executives and owners believe a mid-to-late June return is the best-case scenario for the NBA. This scenario would not include fans in attendance.

The league office has scouted possible arena dates through August, Wojnarowski notes, remaining flexible for the unknown road ahead. The NBA was the first professional sports league in America postpone its season due to coronavirus concerns after Jazz center Rudy Gobert contracted the virus last week.

Over 3,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States were reported as of Sunday night, including 68 fatalities. Donovan Mitchell and Christian Wood join Gobert as the only NBA players who have tested positive for the illness to date.

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