One day after NBA owners approved the league’s 22-team return plan for the idled 2019-20 season, team player representatives with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) did the same on Friday.
The season has been on hold since March 12 due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The plan calls for all games to be played at a neutral complex near Orlando and without fans, aimed at reducing exposure risks to the virus. Eight regular-season games will be played starting July 31, and the subsequent 2020 NBA playoffs will run as late as Oct. 12.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, other aspects of the NBA’s plan upon negotiations with the NBPA include:
- Playing two or three exhibition games before the regular season;
- 1,600 maximum people on campus between the 22 teams and staffers throughout the league;
- Daily coronavirus testing, with a minimum of seven days quarantine for any player who tests positive;
- Players and family must stay inside the bubble, with families allowed to enter after the first round of the playoffs;
- If a player contracts the virus, the NBA plans to continue playing while isolating the affected player.
2-3 preseason games. 1,600 maximum capacity in Orlando. No plan for anti-drug blood testing. Potential crowd noise via NBA 2K sounds.
Details at @TheAthleticNBA on the NBPA’s call with its Board and Player Reps: https://t.co/OiSdQosgvU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
Team training camps in home markets are expected to begin on June 30, while July 7 appears to be the target date for teams to report to the neutral Disney complex in Orlando.
The schedule opponents, dates, and times for the eight regular-season games have yet to be announced. The ensuing 2020 NBA playoffs will then take place in the traditional eight-team bracket format within the Western Conference and Eastern Conference.
Based on the reduction in total regular-season games, the Houston Rockets (40-24) have already clinched their playoff spot. They could finish anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7 in the final West standings.
[lawrence-related id=31900,31881,31842]
It’s a small world after all. And relationships matter. Here’s how the bonds between Adam Silver, Chris Paul, Michele Roberts and Bob Iger helped the NBA find its way back. https://t.co/f5yexP5VyR
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 5, 2020