With coronavirus cases on the rise in the United States and some teams recently shutting down their facilities due to positive cases, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver remains “fairly confident” about the NBA’s plan to resume play safely, but He admits that a spread in the NBA community could bring the league to a halt again.
During an appearance on TIME 100 Talks, Silver was asked if there is any chance that the NBA will not go to Orlando, Florida, as planned due to the increase in coronavirus cases or if he is in full steam to resume play by end of july.
“Never go full speed, no matter what happens,” Silver replied to TIME. “One thing we are learning about this virus is that [it’s] unpredictable, and we and our players, along with their union, analyze the data on a daily basis. If there was anything to change that was outside the scope of what we are playing, we would definitely review our plans.
“We are conducting tests on a daily basis. We have not established a precise number, but if we had to see a large number of cases and see the spread in our community, that would be a cause to stop as well.”
When asked what constitutes a significant spread that would shut down the NBA a second time this season due to the coronavirus, Silver said he is unsure and that the league will continue to work with a panel of scientists, doctors and experts.
“We will see as we go,” Silver said. “Certainly, if the cases are isolated, that’s one thing. Much of the determination will be our understanding of how our community became infected. That will be part of our judgment in terms of whether we should continue. But certainly if we had many cases, we’re going stop us. You can’t run away from this virus. “
“I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off it because there are not many situations that I know of that there is massive evidence of asymptomatic employees,” Silver added of the NBA’s plan to resume play at Walt. Disney World Resort. “In some ways, this is perhaps a model of how other industries can ultimately open up. But I’m just going to say that we will be accountable and see what is happening, but the biggest indicator will be if we start to see a spread in our community. “
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Denver Nuggets closed his team’s practice facility starting Saturday after two members of the team’s 35-member trip group to Orlando tested positive for coronavirus. Denver franchise star Nikola Jokic also previously tested positive for coronavirus in Serbia, where he was asymptomatic. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone also revealed to CBS Denver 4 earlier this month that he had a coronavirus in March during the league hiatus.
The Brooklyn Nets reopened their practice facilities Tuesday after being closed for several days, sources told Wojnarowski. DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie of Brooklyn recently tested positive for coronavirus.
Silver and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban remains optimistic about the NBA’s plan to resume play safely on a protected campus at Walt Disney World Resort.
“It really hasn’t increased at all,” Cuban said when asked if concern about the season’s resumption had increased with cases on the rise in Florida. “Obviously there is risk, but every day, science improves and the medical response has become smarter. Look, the number of cases only shows that you need to be quarantined, you need to be safe, you need to be diligent, we must wear our masks and take the necessary precautions, and that is exactly what we will do.
“If the general population in all of these cities, including Dallas, had followed those same precautions and not been overly confident that this was behind us, we wouldn’t be experiencing who we are today. So I think the bubble really does make that our players are safer. “
The Florida Department of Health reported more than 6,000 additional cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, increasing the total for the state’s last 152,000 cases. On Saturday, the state had its highest single-day total reported in 9,585 cases.
Silver, however, says the NBA’s plan to restart the season in Orlando is designed to protect teams and players from the outside community.
“I’m pretty confident, in large part because we’re playing on a confined campus that the only way to get access to that campus is to be part of our protocol where there is regular testing,” Silver said. “And if someone were to leave our campus, they would have to be tested and quarantined to play again. So, at least in terms of the model, we are protected from the case rate in the broader community.”
“I will say, of course, when we designed this plan, we weren’t seeing the kind of increase in cases, frankly not just in Florida and Texas, but at least in the last few days, most states in the United States are seeing increases in COVID cases, “Silver continued. “… [But] Our model was designed for this. Our model was designed to protect us and our players from cases in the external community. Maybe at the time we designed it, we didn’t think it would be as necessary as it is now, but at least we are preparing. “
Silver was also asked about the NBA continuing to look for ways to allow players to express views and messages to improve the fight for social justice, racial equality, and the Black Lives Matter movement while in Orlando.
The NBA and the National Association of Basketball Players plan to paint Black Lives Matter on the courts used at the Walt Disney World Resort, league sources told ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Ramona Shelburne. Silver was asked if the NBA will also allow players to kneel during the national anthem.
“I’m not comfortable with the word ‘allow,'” Silver said. “I think we have had a rule in our books that dates back to the early 1980s that even predates David Stern’s tenure as commissioner calling players to stand in line and pay attention during the national anthem. I also understand the role of protest and I think we will deal with that situation when it comes up. “
ESPN information Tim MacMahon was used in this report.
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