NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league is likely to postpone its previously planned Dec. 1 start for the 2020-21 season in the hope of making money fans back into arenas.
The NBA bubble environment in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, has been a success, Silver said the league is not focusing on restoring another quarantined campus for next season.
” I d say Dec. 1, now that were overcoming this season, is feeling a bit early to me,” Silver informed ESPNs Rachel Nichols prior to the NBA draft lottery game on Thursday night.
1 Related” I believe our No. 1 objective is to get fans back in our arenas. … So my sense is, in dealing with the players association, if we might press back even a little bit longer and increase the probability of having fans in arenas, thats what we would be targeting.”
Earlier Thursday, ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the gamers union had actually been preparing members for the opening of complimentary company to be delayed from its arranged start on Oct. 18. The NBA draft remains scheduled for Oct. 16.
The NBA is dealing with research study organizations and pharmaceutical business on trials and keeping an eye on advancements in the battle versus COVID-19. Silver has stated roughly 40% of the leagues once-projected $8 billion in earnings is tied to having fans in arenas.
In addition to the hope of vaccines, the league and numerous of its owners have been dealing with companies on fast-response tests that could economically and securely make crowds more practical in the months ahead.
” Were watching closely the development of antivirals,” Silver said. “Theres been some really favorable reports about vaccines recently.”