NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, and NBPA President Chris Paul spoke to reporters on Friday afternoon to address their now officially agreed-upon plan to restart the season on July 30 at the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as the league and union’s announcement from earlier in the day that 16 of 302 players tested positive for the coronavirus, as well as the social justice concerns of their players given the current climate of protests.
On the subject of social justice, Chris Paul cut against the perception that the league is forcing players into this situation, as a form of “shut up and dribble.”
Chris Paul: "You're going to continue to hear us. This isn't a 'Shut up and dribble' situation."
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 26, 2020
Silver concurred that the league will be making tangible efforts to create change.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league is working on a foundation, an independent organization, that would "help drive change with us."
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) June 26, 2020
And while Silver did not detail what number would be the point at which the NBA needs to scrap the season altogether, he did not deny that an outbreak inside the Disney Campus would likely necessitate a full and final shutdown.
Adam Silver says that if there is a “significant spread" of COVID-19 in the bubble, "that may lead us to stopping” play.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 26, 2020
Silver and Roberts both did say, however, that among the 16 players who tested positive for the coronavirus, none of them were “seriously ill in any way.”
Both Adam Silver and Michele Roberts express relief that # of positive coronavirus tests among NBA players was as low as it was (16 of 302).
Added Silver, "None of the 16 were seriously ill in any way. That was also a big relief for us."
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 26, 2020
Cases in the state of Florida are currently spiking, with a new high yesterday of over 9,000 new cases. The consistent rise in cases has forced the state of Florida to prohibit the consumption of alcohol in bars, as of Friday.
The schedule for the eight seeding games for the 22 teams headed to Disney World is going to be released Friday night on ESPN at 7 p.m. EST.
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