The NBA’s Board of Governors almost unanimously approved a return to play plan on Thursday, one that would send 22 teams to Orlando for a bubble league that is tentatively slated to tip off on July 31. One day later and the plan made its way to the National Basketball Players Association for another vote, which ended in the players giving their unanimous approval.
According to multiple reports, the 28 players reps who were on the call signed off on the plan.
Sources: All 28 player reps on the call approved the NBPA's vote. https://t.co/xP7Lij5H0P
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
Sources: The NBPA’s player representatives approved the NBA’s 22-team format to complete the 2019-2020 season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2020
On a conference call this afternoon, the National Basketball Players Association has voted to play the resumption of 2019-20 season, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 5, 2020
Next up for both sides is a round of negotiations, something that Wojnarowski mentioned will occur in the next week and will include one of the talking points from Thursday’s vote: the proposed Dec. 1 start date for the 2020-21 campaign that caught the NBPA off guard.
The NBA and NBPA will work through a number of details in the next week on the resumption in Orlando, but sides are ready to move together toward the July 31 tip. https://t.co/lgYhAKShPr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2020
As expected, Michele Roberts informed NBPA members that the starting dates for next season — along with a myriad of items — will be part of a negotiation with the NBA in coming weeks, per sources. https://t.co/oiNO6P9Imr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2020
Charania reported out some of the specifics for the bubble league, with details including daily testing for COVID-19, families being able to join teams at their hotels at a certain point, exhibition games, and a limit of 1,600 people on the campus that will be used for the league.
2-3 preseason games. 1,600 maximum capacity in Orlando. No plan for anti-drug blood testing. Potential crowd noise via NBA 2K sounds.
Details at @TheAthleticNBA on the NBPA’s call with its Board and Player Reps: https://t.co/OiSdQosgvU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
Sources: Practice set up in Orlando, as NBPA described to players today: Inside a convention center — with two courts and weight rooms. Three-hour window for each team.https://t.co/OiSdQosgvU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
Sources: NBPA leadership stressed to players that it is mandatory to stay on the Disney World campus in Orlando during play. There won't be tracking devices on players. But goal is to keep everyone in safe environment.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
One of the most interesting details is that the league plans on doing daily COVID testing once the season resumes, but Charania noted that it will not be the incredibly invasive testing that you may have seen or experienced in recent months.
Sources: The NBPA informed players today that NBA/NBPA will conduct coronavirus testing every night during resumed season — likely mouth swabs/light nasal swabs and not full invasive nasal swab. Minimum seven days quarantine for a player if positive.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2020
We’ll still have to wait for final details to get hammered out in the near-future, and eventually, players will start making their way down to Orlando for the league. For now, perhaps the two biggest hurdles have been cleared, and the NBA’s return after months of no games can be seen on the horizon.
