In five years as president of ESPN, John Skipper had countless conversations with NBA officials. About lengthening the playoffs. About adding teams to the playoffs. About re-seeding as early as the second round. A discussion Skipper never had substantially: Radically changing the NBA calendar.
As COVID-19, the coronavirus, spreads across the U.S., the NBA is preparing for the possibility of playing a summer schedule for the first time in league history. There is resounding ownership support for finding a way to finish the season, NBA officials told SI.com, even if that means re-starting the season in late June, even if that pushes the Finals into September.