"I want the fans to come back to the theaters as soon as we can, of course. And the fans want to come back too. They want to see basketball, baseball, football and hockey. They want to see their sports. They want to go to the golf courses and breathe fresh, clean, beautiful air. ” Is President Donald Trump naively optimistic, or does he simply refuse to face the facts? With the Covid-19 pandemic hitting the United States hard right now, it seems increasingly unlikely that the NBA season will resume this summer. And therefore to resume its rights at all since it seems recorded that, if the matches have not resumed by the end of August, a resumption would become impossible, even by shifting the start of the next one to the beginning of December.
"They're not discussing how the league could start again. The discussions are financial, what could happen if the season is canceled, and I think the time is clearly for pessimism now. ”
Brian WindhorstThus, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN (NBA broadcaster), the current situation is clear: "In view of the discussions between the players' union and the league this week - and I have spoken to both parties about this question - it is clear that the NBA is looking to put in place an agreement that will cancel the season. For now, they have no obligation to announce it, and in the way they negotiate, they still leave themselves a way out. However, they do not discuss how the league could start again. The discussions are financial, what could happen if the season is canceled, and I think the time is clearly for pessimism now. ” One of the main points is in terms of player compensation, which could lose 20 to 25% of their fees if the season does not resume. Not to mention the clubs which, if they saved on their payroll, would lose much more in terms of ticketing for those who were preparing to play the play-offs.
Silver's message to Trump
This probably explains why Adam Silver, the boss of the League, refuses to take any decision too hasty. According to some indiscretions, during the conference call with Donald Trump and the presidents of the many other major leagues of the various American sports, Silver would however have sent a clear message to the American President by recalling that the NBA had been the first to stop its activities, thus playing, in a way, the role of trigger with others. Like a sort of whistleblower, even if it had already been launched around the world regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. And if Silver wishes to resume the championship as soon as possible, he will not do so without the agreement of the medical authorities. Hoping, also and above all, that the government will help the League to overcome the financial crisis looming in the event of cancellation.
READ ALSO: Coronavirus: NBA studies all recovery scenarios
READ ALSO: End the regular season in one place, behind closed doors, the unusual NBA project
After, various possibilities remain under study, such as a regular season or shortened play-offs, but some, in the United States, question the interest of taking health risks for a few more basketball matches or less. Hence an ambient pessimism, suggesting a possible announcement - within a few days, at most two weeks - of a buried 2019-2020 season to take the time to overcome the epidemic and prepare well for the next one. ..
Read also
- Hall of Fame: Bryant from the sky at the pantheon, Duncan and Garnett also in the spotlight
