Rockets ‘fully expect’ to reopen Toyota Center to players next week

“We fully expect that next week will be a good step in that direction,” CEO Tad Brown said when asked about reopening team facilities.

The Houston Rockets expect to welcome their players back to Toyota Center next week for individual workouts, CEO Tad Brown said Friday.

Facilities have been closed since March 19 amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But with many stay-at-home orders for NBA cities (including in Houston) expiring as of May, the NBA recently announced the terms of a potential reopening to players as soon as Friday, May 8.

While the league has not given a final commitment to that May 8 date, Brown said Friday that the Rockets fully expect that timeline to hold.

“That’s the plan,” Brown said after being asked about the potential reopening of team facilities. “We’re certainly expecting it, and we’ll provide the safest possible environment for our guys. We fully expect that next week is going to be a good step in that direction.”

Brown did not offer a precise timetable for the resumption of the 2019-20 season, which has been on hiatus since March 12 due to the pandemic. The Houston CEO says the NBA is working with health and safety experts to determine when and how to return, and optimism remains high among league officials that the season will eventually resume in some fashion.

“Everybody I’ve spoken with, from the team level to the league level and our players and coaches, we’re all hopeful to get moving,” Brown said at a food donation event with Kroger at the arena in downtown Houston.

“But we’re going to take it under the time frame that’s according to guidance from health professionals,” Brown cautioned.

Brown said the team continues to have dialogue with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office about how best to resume the season, which could reportedly be at a neutral site and without fans.

“We’re aligned across the board,” Brown said Friday. “Ownership, our players, our coaches, the organization, we’re aligned to try and work with league and try to work with other teams to figure out a solution and to make sure we get this season up and running again.”

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