Confirming several media reports, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said Tuesday that he continues to see “positive momentum” for the return of the NBA later this summer, likely in Orlando.
The 2019-20 season has been suspended since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the recent increases in COVID-19 testing capacity around the United States could be changing the landscape.
In a Tuesday interview with CNBC, Fertitta said this in responding to a queston about the league’s short-term future:
We’re all trying to decide right now the format. … There seems to be a lot of positive momentum right now. I think we really have our act together when it’s going to come to how we’re going to contain and test.
It’s going to be extremely safe for the players and all the personnel that travels with the team. But there won’t be any fans there, I can promise you that.
.@TilmanJFertitta on @CNBC on the potential of the NBA returning to play:”We’re all trying to decide right now the format..There seems to be a lot of positive momentum right now..I think we really have our act together when it’s going to come to how we’re going to contain & test” pic.twitter.com/0qlPpSlXC6
— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) May 26, 2020
On Saturday, the NBA confirmed that it “is engaged in exploratory conversations… about restarting the 2019-20 season in late July at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices, and housing.”
From the NBA’s perspective, having one site for all teams reduces potential exposure risks to the virus from travel and allows the league to focus on one location for the implementation of its safety protocols.
What has yet to be determined, as Fertitta alluded to, is the format. For starters, it’s unclear if the NBA will advance straight to the playoffs or play some regular-season contests in an effort to fulfill contracts to various televisio partners. Most teams had between 15 and 20 games left.
This proposal would 1) allow teams to fulfill local TV deals, a major financial issue; 2) give all but two teams a mathematical chance to make the playoffs without potentially excluding teams who had basically punched their tickets. Mark Cuban: “It’s fair. It’s entertaining.” https://t.co/IvNmWEDbid
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 26, 2020
They could also do a hybrid format, such as a play-in tournament or “group stage” concept for the final playoff spots in each conference. The Rockets (40-24) were tied for the West’s No. 5 spot when the season was paused, so they should be securely in the field no matter the format.
There is some support in the league office for the NBA to have a World Cup style “group stage” replace the first round of the NBA Playoffs, sources say.
Here’s my case for why the NBA, teams and players should agree to resume this year with a group stage: https://t.co/sv8YKmY5O0
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 26, 2020
As Fertitta indicated, all momentum appears to be on the side of the 2019-20 season resuming. Further details could arrive by the end of the week, since a conference call between the league office and its Board of Governors (including Fertitta) is scheduled for Friday.
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This should come as no surprise given that the Board of Governors are meeting Friday, but there are a lot of NBA players who expect that the next couple days are going to bring many answers.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) May 26, 2020