NBA commissioner Adam Silver and team owners reportedly are in the process of delaying the start of next season until December due to complications with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski — an idea that is reportedly gaining traction among owners.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the NBA to suspend operations on 11 March 2020. The league currently doesn’t have any specific plans to resume play.
The NBA officially postponed both the draft lottery and scouting combine, both of which were scheduled to take place this month in Chicago. It did not delay the draft itself — which is currently scheduled for 25 June — however "there’s an increasing belief that it's just a matter of time” before that happens, per Wojnarowski.
There were more than 1.1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, according to The New York Times, and more than 64,500 deaths attributed to the virus.
Most sports leagues in the country, including the NBA, have considered playing games without fans present upon return. The idea behind delaying the start of next season, per Wojnarowski, is to allow fans to be present for as much of the season as possible.
"If you start in December, that doesn’t mean the [fans] are coming back in December, but maybe they’re back in March," one owner told ESPN.
While talks occurred last 1 May, there are "no imminent plans" to make any decisions about next season now. Before that plan is made, the league will almost certainly need to determine how it will move forward with the remainder of the current season.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the NBA to suspend operations on 11 March 2020. The league currently doesn’t have any specific plans to resume play.
The NBA officially postponed both the draft lottery and scouting combine, both of which were scheduled to take place this month in Chicago. It did not delay the draft itself — which is currently scheduled for 25 June — however "there’s an increasing belief that it's just a matter of time” before that happens, per Wojnarowski.
There were more than 1.1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, according to The New York Times, and more than 64,500 deaths attributed to the virus.
Most sports leagues in the country, including the NBA, have considered playing games without fans present upon return. The idea behind delaying the start of next season, per Wojnarowski, is to allow fans to be present for as much of the season as possible.
"If you start in December, that doesn’t mean the [fans] are coming back in December, but maybe they’re back in March," one owner told ESPN.
While talks occurred last 1 May, there are "no imminent plans" to make any decisions about next season now. Before that plan is made, the league will almost certainly need to determine how it will move forward with the remainder of the current season.
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