It’s almost 2 months since the NBA season has been suspended due to coronavirus pandemic, its returned this year seems less and less likely with each day passing by.
Some executives and agents around the NBA believe the remainder of the 2019/20 season should be canceled, according to Jabari Young of CNBC. As Young explains, there are team owners who are concerned about liability issues relating to COVID-19 and executives who would prefer to focus on safely resuming play for the 2020/21 season.
There are also reports that the NBA is considering finishing the 2019-2020 season at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is among the sites the NBA is considering to host the rest of its season, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that it’s one of several areas being looked at if the league decides to hold all its games in a single location.
Disney provides several advantages for the league, points out Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer (via Twitter). The resort offers ample hotel space and multiple basketball courts that are already set up to handle live television and radio broadcasts. He notes that because Disney is a privately owned property, it would be easier to manage than Las Vegas, which has also been mentioned as a potential site.
NBA superstar LeBron James tweeted his thoughts on rumors that the executives have to cancel the season:
Tho Adam Silver hasn’t announced the official statement yet, the commissioner has been receiving private calls from the agent regarding cancelation of the season, on the other hand, owners have been pushing to save this year’s season.
If this year’s season will be canceled, the NBA will become the first major U.S. league to postpone its season due to the pandemic.
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