The next NBA offseason is getting longer every day.
Appearing on a CNN panel to discuss politics in the league he is the head of, Commissioner Adam Silver shared the 2020-21 season is likely to start later than hoped based off of conversations he’s had with Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been in conversation with Silver on the issue of when to start next season, with team Governors and the league preferring at least some degree of live attendance and a non-bubble format to recoup revenue lost to the pandemic.
“My best guess is even though it’ll be the 2020-21 season, that the season won’t start until 2021,” said Silver on the panel discussion.
“We said the earliest we would start is Christmas of this year,” he added. “But the more I’m learning and listening to Dr. Fauci this morning, I continue to believe we’re going to be better off going into January. The goal for us next season is to play a standard season.”
The NBA hopes to avoid scheduling much or all of the coming season in a similar bubble format and the costs and stress it places on players, staff and front offices and their families.
Ongoing relationships with arenas and their employees would also be significantly impacted should much of another season pass without live games.
Coach Stevens encouraged by Hayward’s recovery; ‘He’s responded well’ https://t.co/oueOyqhdZ8
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 22, 2020
The hope is that with more time, there may be better knowledge and technology to make such an outcome work.
“There’s still a lot that we need to learn in terms of rapid testing, for example. Would that be a means for getting fans into our buildings?” Silver asked. “Would there be other protections from the things that we are learning in Orlando currently on the campus down there?”
While basketball fans may not be excited about the prospect with another potential gap wreaking havoc on the schedule (and the lack of games), for now it seems a prudent decision.
Better to admit more time is needed before things can safely approach life before COVID-19 in the NBA than make uninformed decisions that could significantly impact the lives of many well beyond the scope of the league.
[jwplayer fjWaqowi]
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