The NBA is returning July 31st. Fans, teams, and players are very excited that the NBA has decided to return to play. Some players have stated that they will not return in the current environment due to concerns over the coronavirus and the league has said those players will not be penalized.
The league voted 29-1 to restart the season with the Portland Trailblazers being the only team that voted against starting the season in a league-wide agreed-upon format.
There will be 22 teams that will be playing in the abridged season. The teams will first play 8 regular-season games to finish off the regular season to determine which teams will be able to play in the 16 team playoffs.
The 22 teams that will be playing in the abridged season are,”Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and The Phoenix Suns”.
All of the games will be following the regulation of public health officials and the NBA will be having uniform daily testing for the coronavirus.
In a press release issued by the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver said last Thursday, “The NBA Board of Governors today approved a competitive format to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play and a tentative start date of Friday, July 31. The Board’s approval is the first formal step among many required to resume the season. Based on the competitive format that the NBA Board of Governors approved today, the 22 returning teams would be the 16 teams (eight per conference) in current playoff positions and the six teams that are currently six games or fewer behind the eighth seed in their respective conferences. Those two groups comprise teams with the NBA’s 22 best records. The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season. 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. We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways”.
The players will be required to report to their teams on June 21st and will be tested for the coronavirus on June 22nd. Training is scheduled to being on June 30th. On July 7th all players and teams will be required to be in Orlando Florida for continued practice and training in preparation for a July 31st start date.
