NBA return: Is it worth it?
MANILA, Philippines – Positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are continuing to rise among different teams in the NBA.
With less than a month to go before the scheduled resumption of the 2019-20 season, it is inevitable to ask the question: Is it worth the risk?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver conceded that there will always be a risk in trying to return to play so soon, but maintains that the league's bubble plan is the safest and most responsible of the choices.
Twenty-two teams are set to return to closed-door games in Orlando, Florida starting July 30 (July 31, Manila time), where they will be under quarantine until their respective games are finished.
But with at least 16 NBA players having contracted the virus since the plan for the restart was approved, it is logical to question the overall safety of the plan.
To ensure containment should a positive test within the isolated NBA campus come up during the season, plentiful testing and contact tracing will need to happen.
Reports have said that all those in the NBA campus will need to undergo testing for the virus on a daily basis.
But with the virus still wreaking havoc in the United States — there are more than 2.74 million confirmed cases in the country — such an intense form of testing for hundreds of players and staff in the Orlando bubble may not be the best option in terms of doing what is best for their communities.
Commissioner Silver also said the league may still stop its play in the middle of the resumption should there be a lot of cases.
"If the cases are isolated, that's one thing... But if we had a lot of cases, we're going to stop," Silver told Time in an online talk.
The league has been shut down since early March when Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus.
This has resulted in financial losses for the league as well as all 30 franchises in the NBA.
The NBA return plan is seeking to at least dampen the economical losses they have already absorbed because of the health crisis.
"We're looking to find the right balance between health and safety on one hand, and economic necessity on the other," Silver said.
"And what we think is we've found what makes sense for the NBA and that is a safe and responsible way to play," he added.
Some players, citing both health and social justice concerns, have already opted out of the season restart.
Los Angeles Lakers' Avery Bradley and free agent DeMarcus Cousins are among the players who have chosen not to return in Orlando.
As the country continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, as well as dealing with social justice concerns like the Black Lives Matter movement, is it really the right time for the NBA to return?
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