As the coronavirus was just starting to wreak havoc in the U.S. in mid-March, NBA commissioner Adam Silver made the decision to shut down his business even as the White House was playing down the seriousness of the threat from COVID-19.
Now, more than two months later, the NBA remains closed even though other sports like golf, auto racing and soccer have found a way to resume play to some degree. Thanks to Silver being at the forefront of shutting down his sport — and sports in general — NBA players and owners are comfortable with the commissioner making the call about when and how the league should resume play.
The NBA’s stars and billionaire owners trust Silver to lead the league’s revival and are giving him “full room to operate, govern and make the decision on resuming play amid a pandemic,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “No power grabs, no factions, no public criticisms on the commissioner’s judgment.”
Silver has already warned players, who will be docked 25 percent of their pay starting today, that there may be a financial strain approaching the NBA which could impact guaranteed contracts, free agency and the gap between big- and small-market teams. So much of that depends on if/when fans will be allowed to return to arenas and how many tickets teams will be able to sell while still following proper safety protocols.
At this point, that’s the biggest question facing the NBA, but the league’s players and owners trust Silver and his team to answer it.
“As the NBA creeps closer to a return, Silver has the support of the constituencies needed to salvage the playoffs and declare a champion,” according to Wojnarowski. “Even so, this virus moves fast, destroys plans and makes everyone and everything adjust to it.”
Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
