There’s growing pessimism around the league that the 2019/20 season can be resumed, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said on SportsCenter (video link).
While the NBA is willing to go deep into the summer to complete the season, recent developments have led the league to discuss the implications of cancellation.
“It’s been a bad week,” Windhorst said. “I think there was optimism about progress a week ago. Some things that have happened this week have turned it south about what could happened.”
China’s decision to halt the Chinese Basketball Association’s plan to resume play this month has been a major factor.
“They (the CBA) really believed if they just tested the players’ temperature all this time that it would work,” Windhorst said. “The Chinese are finding that asymptomatic carriers are causing maybe a second wave in that country and they’re just slamming the brakes on sports.”
Unless widespread, quick tests for the novel coronavirus become available in the near future, league officials can’t see a way to resume play and ensure safety for all involved.
“It is clear that the NBA is angling to set up a deal that enables them to shut the season down,” Windhorst said. “They don’t have to do that yet. The way they’re negotiating, they’re leaving an option either way. But they’re not having talks about how to restart the league. They’re having financial talks about what would happen if the season shuts down. I think there’s a significant amount of pessimism.”
Motions get tabled when the perfect must battle the good-enough.
I threw up a little when I read this. Why are you on a sports site? Gross.
Directly related to the article. Is your post?– no.
Sure: so true
About my adage… Holding out for 70 or 82 games and 7-game series and 30 home teams will just lead to resistance and giving up and having nothing. Better to quarantine everyone to be in the gym for 14 days, minimize the scheme, put it on TV, and get a champion.
A vaccine is not near. A playoff would have to go on without it.
I think they should just cancel it. I have a 99% chance of not showing symptoms, and it’s a similar strain to the season flu. So I know most of Americans are hypochondriacs. Would be weird to restart the season.
Maybe the NBA should just stop speculating and wait & see if the treatments they are trying work. Wait and see how things are in May and then go from there.
Yep, that’s probably what it’s actually happening, but the media has to have something to talk about to fill the void. That’s my take anyway.
How about giving me my money back for the tickets I bought for March 29th Mavs/Bucks game Cuban? Greedy SOB, keeping people’s money that are laid off. Mark Cuban=garbage
Instead of canceling games, they “postpone” them indefinitely, so they can keep your money. Last dime I ever give the NBA
Hate to break it to you Mark, but its not just the NBA that does that hehe
Like some said above stop going into roller coaster mode with this. We all know these next 3 weeks are going to be the worst. There should not be any leanings one way or the other until the CDC recommendation ends mid May
I could care less if the season restarts in August. I would love to see them restart whenever humanly possible. We need something to care about other than COVID-19. I’m not trying to be insensitive but eventually things will get better and sports would be a welcome distraction. Unless you’re a knicks fan
I don’t think I want people dying so I can be distracted by sports.
People die every day and only family members bat an eye. Life goes on. Being predisposed to serious symptoms of this is no more fair than having cancer….but life moves on just the same.
It moves on unless you are the one who dies. Unbelievable how callous your comments are.
This was always going to be the case given this administration’s downplaying of the pandemic and lack of preparation for it. The folks who thought an April or May return was ever in the cards were only deluding themselves.
At this point, it’s either going to be deep summer or not all. And while I think some states will have the virus well under control by then, I fear that others, in particular the red states living in fantasy land, will not.
IMHO, we have to keep our heads down until we either find a way to treat the disease, or develop a vaccine that can eliminate it. End of Summer for sure.
Impossible to “eliminate” a virus. A vaccine is just a weakened version of said virus for your immune system to attack & develop antibodies.
It’s one of the reasons vaccines always make me weary. I’d rather use sensible precaution & good hygiene (especially hand hygiene) than introduce a virus–albeit vastly weakened–into my system.
Vaccines for the infected makes sense tho. Helps those immune systems identify & fight quicker/more efficiently
You being weary for some time is not worth it? Not infecting a lot of other people around you. Isn’t it a bit selfish of you?
I would much rather them cancel this season and get to play next season in full with no delays it’s not worth messing up 2 seasons just to finish this one
Lakers miss the playoffs again. 9 in a row?
them and the rockets banked everything on this season and if they don’t win its a big failure.
This virus will be around thru next flu season without a proven vaccination. So, if they’re going to wait until there’s no more risk of another outbreak, then next season will likely be cancelled as well. That won’t work. Considering a disproportionate amount of money is dependent on the post season and crowning a champion, I think, as soon as its politically acceptable, the NBA will figure out a way to have a post-season over the summer, and then start next season a month or two later. There might even be a case that such a schedule is more consistent with preventing outbreaks.
Too early to say either way-
I think if they do have a playoffs its prolly gonna be neutral cite (Vegas )/No fans/ shortened series variety which Im perfectly fine with-
My only hopes would be they can manage 7 game series for the conf finals and Finals themselves-
Just end the season and start fresh in October.
Why? Don’t you like NBA? Will you wanna stop every season from now on for the flu? Just doesn’t make any sense all this overreaction for just a virus!