After a long period of indecisiveness and uncertainty, the NBA has announced that they would be resuming games on July 31. This is after the NBA board of governors approved a plan for 22 teams to come back based on an eight-game format.
The games would be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, dubbed the “bubble”, confirming earlier speculations.
The NBA has been on a break since March due to the pandemic and it has been very difficult to know whether the league was planning to resume or not. Commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver had earlier stated that he would only follow the opinions of health officials to know whether it is safe to resume or not.
Only 22 teams would be allowed to resume, 16 of which are already in playoff position. This would allow the season to end in time. The National Basketball Player’s Association (NBPA) also approved the plans of the NBA and held a vote in favour of resumption with all but one of the teams (Portland Trailblazers) holding out.
Speaking on the resumption, Silver said, “The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season. While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts.”
Team members are expected back at their facilities and those returning from outside the county would be subjected to a compulsory quarantine period. Teams are then expected to begin individual training in their facilities, before having a one-week training camp, which would start on June 30. On July 7, teams would fly to Orlando where they would be quarantined together, that is each team, up till when the game starts on July 31.
Exhibition matches are being considered although there is no guarantee yet that they would hold. There are also no conclusions on if families would be allowed to join the players at the bubble.
Written by: Leon Osamor
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