The NBA’s board of governors voted on Thursday and approved the return-to-play proposal with a 29-1 vote. Only the Portland Trailblazers voted against the proposal. The 22-team format will begin in Orlando, Fla. on July 31 and teams will begin training in Orlando starting as soon as July 9.
“The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “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.”
Players are still going to see a 25% reduction of their paychecks on June 15. Deductions are scheduled to end after the games have been made up sometime in September.
There will be 13 Western Conference teams along with nine Eastern Conference teams. They will play eight regular-season “seeding” games followed by a play-in tournament for the eighth seed.
The regular season will be extended 16 days, with 5 to 6 games being played per day. They will allow 4 hours between games for warmups and cleanings to ensure safety during the pandemic.
The NBA is expected to move dates up as each series is completed and the Finals format will be a game every other day. This bubble will be governed strictly, so the league is going to have uniform daily testing to ensure the safety of the players. Coaches and athletes will still be allowed to participate in activities such as golfing or eating out at restaurants, but they must abide by social distancing guidelines.
If a player happens to test positive for the virus, they will be quarantined away from the rest of the team while play resumes. Employees at the resort are also going to have to follow similar rules. No faculty of Disney will be allowed to enter players’ rooms and the hallways will be monitored for crowding.
Trailblazers Dissent
Portland argued that they were eager to resume the season but believed there were better formats to begin play. They wanted to address the draft lottery odds that were frozen after the suspension of play in March.
“We play for an ownership group that actually listens to its players and has a backbone,” Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum tweeted. “We voiced what we felt was the best option and they followed our lead. I commend our front office and [team chair] Jody Allen.”
2020-21 Season
After the remainder of the season is played at the Disney resort, the turnaround for the next season is just ahead. They will begin training less than a month after the Finals is scheduled to end.
National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts expressed her thoughts and concern over the timeline being too tight, saying “I was surprised to see it,” on ESPN on Thursday night.
Training camps will begin on November 10 with the first game set to be played on December 1.
