During an interview tonight with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed hope that the current season can be completed in some form, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While he admitted it’s way too early to guess when that may happen or what it might look like, Silver isn’t ready to talk about a cancellation.
“I’m optimistic by nature,” he said. “I want to believe we can salvage some form of the season.”
The commissioner said he discusses the situation every day with medical experts and Michele Roberts, executive director of the players union. He has also conducted conference calls with the owners to brainstorm possible solutions. Scenarios that have been discussed include resuming the season under normal conditions, playing the games with no fans in the arenas, or a one-time charity event involving players who have tested negative for the coronavirus.
“A third option that we are looking at now … the impact on the national psyche of having no sports programming on television,” he said. “And one of the things we’ve been talking about are, are there conditions in which a group of players could compete — maybe it’s for a giant fundraiser or just the collective good of the people — where you take a subset of players and, is there a protocol where they can be tested and quarantined and isolated in some way, and they could compete against one another? Because people are stuck at home and I think they need a diversion. They need to be entertained.”
ESPN recently reported that mid- to late June is the earliest realistic date that games can begin, and Silver said the league will be ready “when public health officials give us the OK.” He also indicated it’s possible that the current hiatus could lead the NBA to make changes to its future schedule.
Silver admitted that the country’s view of the coronavirus has evolved quickly since the decision was made to suspend operations seven days ago after Rudy Gobert tested positive. The league has ordered testing for eight teams since then, and six other players have registered positive tests.
“It was a larger decision than just the NBA,” Silver said of the shutdown. “… I think it got a lot of people’s attention.”
He identified Gobert’s test as a turning point for the league, saying it was a “split second” decision to call off last Wednesday’s game between the Jazz and Thunder. A game later that night involving the Pelicans and Kings was also postponed because one of the officials had worked a Utah game earlier in the week.
As bad as Silver has been as commish, he has handled this unprecedented event as well as could be expected. It wasn’t perfect, but all in all, he did a very good job.
Lmao “as bad?” He’s been phenomenal since he took over and is easily the best commissioner of the three major sports leagues.
The NBA pays for NBA players to get tested. Imagine getting mad at something so simple.
Anyone could be quicker but Silver was pretty quick compared to nominal leaders. I would rather not wait long for the NBA to resume, since warm temps will arrive before that and the fiasco will relent temporarily.
Spring flus are often due to air-conditioning. Let’s not help covid19. Let the ladies contol the office temperatures this year! lol Men, go to work in A-tops, and in the winter see if the women decide that after all, workers should wear enough clothes instead of them always turning up the thermostats.
In the HR list of most popular articles, the Silver smile for his “positive” article is perfect… but the smiling picture for the “Durant tests positive”, not so much.
I always enjoyed Lebatard’s ‘looks like’ for Silver. He does indeed look like at any moment he will unzip his skin suit to reveal that he is really a reptile man.
LOL ‘ Optimistic ‘. translation : the season is over. & from what I am hearing there is a chance that next season will not begin on time