Jared Dudley, who serves as a Players Association representative for the Lakers, revealed that the NBA might be willing to play until October to finish the season (hat tip to The Sporting News). Responding late on Friday night to a comment by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that the league is willing to extend the season through Labor Day, Dudley tweeted, “I heard even Oct from Adam Silver today…”
The league has been talking with players and owners for weeks to determine a workable plan to save the season, and this is the latest potential completion date that has been made public. It reflects the growing optimism that has been reported throughout the league since a conference call involving the commissioner and the players Friday night.
There’s more coronavirus-related news:
- Players aren’t excited about the proposed “bubble” concept that would isolate everyone in a host city such as Las Vegas or Orlando, Shelburne said in an appearance on ESPN’s Dickerson & Hood radio show (Twitter link). “Players don’t really want to do a bubble,” she said. “They would much rather stay in their home cities, fly privately to and from wherever they’re going and be home with their families, not have tons of restrictions … players were really against the idea of being cooped up in a hotel for two months, three months or however long that would be.” She adds that strictly enforcing quarantine rules in a bubble setting could become problematic.
- The Heat have received formal clearance to begin player workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Miami-Dade County issued an amendment to an emergency order that permits “use of facilities owned or leased by a professional sports franchise, solely by employees of such franchise for training purposes.” Players are expected to begin using the facility on Wednesday.
- Chinese Basketball Association president Yao Ming said the league is considering three options for resuming play, relays Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. In an interview with CCTV, Ming explained that the league is still deciding whether to finish a full schedule, shorten the season, or go straight to the playoffs. Under any setup, players will be confined to hotels and fans will not be admitted to games.
- Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports contends it would be a mistake for the NBA to move opening day to Christmas on a permanent basis.
Sometimes when things are strange, the employees have to go where the work is…
and would Ming play?
Our soldiers sometimes are away from their families for 2 or 3 years defending our country. Surely these overpaid athletes could do a one-time series of weeks away from family in order to get started playing again.
Agreed, but overpaid doesn’t have anything to do with it.
People in the military signed up to be in the military.
I believe athletes sign contracts to play in the NBA. They are in effect signing up as well.
If you are going to make comparisons, make good ones at least.
ever heard of a false equivalency?
when you voluntarily sign up for the military you knowingly take that condition. NBAers have never and should not be voluntold to make absurd sacrifices simply for your lame entertainment.
To be clear, they aren’t being forced to do anything. Any NBA player who doesn’t want to work can simply not play. That option exists every year, including this one.
But then they wouldn’t get paid.
Agreed. This is a Force Majeure element in their contracts. They can comply, or they can lose agreed to payments. The choice is theirs. Such clauses are in many contracts of large value. And they are in NBA contracts.
That’s a ridiculous comparison and you know it.
Top 5 things to do during Corona Virus:
1. Eat
2. Sleep
3. Watch TV
4. Read
5. Surf the Net
6. Think about the workouts you need to do but don’t have the motivation to do until the pandemic is over.
“She adds that strictly enforcing quarantine rules in a bubble setting could become problematic. ”
This is certainly true. But if there are loose rules, some players will beg out because it’s not safe enough with rules not being enforced. NBA players already live in an easy-life bubble! Like Shaq.
Just do what Georgia is doing. Open it all up and stop looking at the number of cases.