NBA: ‘Significant spread’ of COVID-19 in bubble will halt restart
Adam Silver says what would force the NBA to halt its restart
Earlier this week, it was reported that the NBA and NBAPA had agreed to a revised CBA (which included enhanced insurance, as the league inches closer to the implementation of the restart plan in the Orlando/Disney bubble.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Florida, specifically in the Orlando area, there was growing concern about the league’s plan to return to action. On a conference call with reporters Friday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged said concerns.
At the same rate, while he admitted that the rise in cases in Orlando (and around the country) is a cause for concern, he believes that the NBA has prepared a plan in which it will create an environment for players that is as safe as can be.
Silver: "We are satisfied once we work through those additional matters with Disney, we will have a safe setting with which to resume our season."
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) June 26, 2020
That said, there is still a chance that there could be a significant spread of COVID-19 within the bubble. All it takes is for one player, staff member, or Disney employee to fall through the cracks to complicate the entire return to play concept.
Question is, what would force the NBA to stop the return to play plan? Silver has already made it clear that one positive test result won’t. In fact, Friday morning it was reported that 16 players have already tested positive for the virus.
So, when exactly would the NBA consider stopping play? Well, in the word of Adam Silver, a significant spread in the bubble.
Adam Silver says that if there is a “significant spread" of COVID-19 in the bubble, "that may lead us to stopping” play.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) June 26, 2020
It’s tough to say what that looks like, but you’d have to believe that could translate to multiple players on one team have tested positive to the extent in which the player would have to forfeit their way out of the playoffs.
If that would take place, would the NBA just eliminate an entire team from the competition? Would they stop the entire playoffs? If it comes to that, there would certainly have to be big decisions to be made.
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With that said, Adam Silver was quite clear during his time with reporters. He believes in the NBA’s plan. He believes that sports need to be back. And that “living with the virus” is going to be some sort of new normal moving forward. How will all work out for the NBA? Who knows.