Things haven’t been anywhere near normal in the NBA for more than a month, and that’s probably the understatement of the year.
Unlike during the regular season, NBA players have had ample time away from their teammates, their coaching staffs and their training facilities. It’s left many players feeling isolated and searching for signs of normalcy in a time that’s full of uncertainty.
Chris Paul, though, has found reason to be optimistic about the prospect of the NBA finding a way to complete its 2019-20 season — something that is nowhere near a guarantee at this point.
Writing for OKCThunder.com, Nick Gallo spoke with Paul about life away from the squad, and one of the interesting tidbits from the piece was the fact that Paul has a growing sense of optimism about the league’s ability to finish the season.
No one knows what, if anything, remains in the future for this 2019-20 campaign, but Paul and his teammates relished every moment of this year’s squad.
“This has been one of the funnest years I’ve had in the league, just with our team,” said Paul, a 15-year veteran who has played for four different franchises and made the playoffs 11 times. “I get excited with our Zoom calls because it makes me even more confident that we’re going to find a way and get back to playing.”
In other words, what Paul is probably saying is that the league’s leadership, its players’ union and its teams have and always will be forward-thinking and innovative. Although it’s still a bit early to know for certain whether the league will be able to return to competition, but there are at least some positive indicators.
At this point, the most popular theory is that the league will convene in one city and player out a truncated postseason from a remote location with no fans in attendance. Still, for now, it remains a theory. Paul himself acknowledges that.
“There’s a lot of hypotheticals out there and it’s great that people are brainstorming, and everybody wants us to get back to play. But safety of the players, the families, the fans, everyone, all that comes before any of it,” Paul noted…
“This is such an interesting situation that we’re all in,” said Paul. “This is a situation where no one knows. The virus is actually in complete control.”
Paul, who is currently serving as the president of the NBPA, continues to capably lead the NBA’s workforce of more than 400 players. Thunder fans and his teammates have been fortunate to see him in action up close.