Barring another force majeure, the NBA is moving forward with plans to resume the 2019-20 season in late July, likely at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, all as the coronavirus death toll exceeds 100,000 nationwide. Nothing is set in stone, but commissioner Adam Silver is expected to present a plan to the National Basketball Players Association next week, following conference calls with the league’s general managers on Thursday and its Board of Governors on Friday.
We have spent recent weeks detailing the NBA’s shift from abject safety to reduced risk in the face of a stark financial landscape, as well as the many additional risk factors created by a condensed schedule and the freedom of players to leave and reenter a single-site location.