Rod Beard: NBPA executive director Michele Roberts on positive tests for 16 of 302 players tested: “I’m relieved the number was not higher.” Silver: “I was relieved the number came in roughly where we expected it.” He says none of the 16 was seriously ill.
More on Coronavirus
David Aldridge: Michele Roberts, on how concerned she is about 16 players out of 302 tested testing positive: "…If nothing else, it tells me that the great majority of players have been doing what they should have been doing… one is too many, but 160 would have been devastating."
Jared Weiss: The NBA is going to have an onsite clinic in partnership with Advent health to treat anyone getting sick and they will work with local hospitals to coordinate care if someone needs to be hospitalized.
Jared Weiss: Adam Silver asked how NBA would handle a team COVID breakout: “If we have significant spread throughout our community, that ultimately might lead us to stopping.” They are working with health officials to determine that threshold.
Jason Anderson: If a star player tests positive: “We would continue. That team would be down a man. We would treat that positive test as we would an injury during the season, so it would not delay the continuation of the playoffs." -- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Greg Logan: Adam Silver admits concern about spike in Orlando infection rate, but #NBA worked out “subset of tests” to cover Walt Disney employees who might interact. Admits widespread outbreak could result in end of season.
Jon Johnson: With so much uncertainty, Adam Silver making it clear the NBA will be back: "We’re coming back because sports matter in our society. They bring people together when they need it the most."
KC Johnson: Silver on the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Florida: "The level of concern has increased, not just because of the increased levels in Florida but throughout the country." Said NBA is working with Disney to add testing for some workers.
David Aldridge: NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, also on the conference call, says "we had to make sure we could mitigate as much as possible" with regard to limiting COVID-19 spread/exposure.
The National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association announced today that they have finalized a comprehensive plan for a July 30 restart to the 2019-20 season, which includes stringent health and safety protocols, a single-site campus at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and the goal of taking collective action to combat systemic racism and promote social justice. In addition, the NBA and Disney have reached an agreement that makes the Arena, the Field House and Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex the venues for all games for the remainder of the season, which will resume with 22 teams returning to play and with no fans in attendance.
The NBA and the NBPA confirmed today an agreement on health and safety protocols that will govern the resumption of the season. The rigorous program, which addresses risks related to COVID-19 and focuses on the well-being of players, coaches, officials and staff, was developed in consultation with public health experts, infectious disease specialists and government officials.
As announced on Wednesday, the NBA and the NBPA have agreed in principle that the goal of the season restart will be to find tangible and sustainable ways to address racial inequality across the country. Leaders from the NBA and the NBPA have also discussed strategies to increase Black representation across the NBA and its teams, ensure greater inclusion of Black-owned and operated businesses across NBA business activities, and form an NBA foundation to expand educational and economic development opportunities across the Black community. In recognition that long-term change can only come from an informed and sustained commitment, conversations regarding these efforts will continue and additional details will be released at a later date.
“We have worked together with the Players Association to establish a restart plan that prioritizes health and safety, preserves competitive fairness and provides a platform to address social justice issues,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We are grateful to our longtime collaborator Disney for its role in playing host and making this return to play possible, and we also thank the public health officials and infectious disease specialists who helped guide the creation of comprehensive medical protocols and protections.”
“It is very exciting to officially announce the restart of the 2019-2020 season,” said NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts. “It has taken true collaboration between the League and the Union – special kudos to our Executive Committee and several other team reps – along with the continued support and assistance from medical experts, public health officials and many others. Additionally, our platform in Orlando presents a unique opportunity to extend the ongoing fight against systemic racism and police brutality in this country. We will continue to work with our players and the League to develop specific plans in Orlando as well as long-term initiatives to bring about real change on these issues.”
“We’re glad to be able to provide a unique venue where the NBA can resume its season at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. “We look forward to welcoming the players, coaches and staff to Walt Disney World Resort as they prepare for the exciting return of professional basketball.”
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sixteen NBA players have tested positive for the coronvavirus of 302 players tested, sources tells ESPN.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Tests were administered on Tuesday within teams.
Adrian Wojnarowski: League has now announced those results.
Injured Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant said if he were fully healthy, he wouldn't participate in the NBA's season restart in Orlando. "I feel, me right now, I probably wouldn't have played because the unknown going into that situation looks crazy right now, seeing so many new cases," Durant said during a recent interview with "Dawg Talk." "It's just so unpredictable. It's easy for me to say right now because I'm injured, but I probably wouldn't have went down there (to Orlando)."
"If the guys feel safe enough to go play, that's cool, I'm with them. If they don't feel like they should go down there and play or don't feel safe, I'm with them too. I'm all about what the group wants," Durant said, before elaborating on why he'd decide to sit out. "Obviously, I would have talked to my teammates and consulted with my guys and actually really went over it for the last month and a half, but me, my gut would have told me nah, I probably wouldn't want to go down there, especially after three months off."
Kellan Olson: Devin Booker confirmed the report of a couple Suns players testing positive for COVID-19 on his stream (twitch.tv/dbook). He said they are getting tested every two days and for today's they came to his house.
Malcolm Brogdon isn't the only member of the Indiana Pacers in quarantine after he tested positive for COVID-19. Coaches who have come in contact with him are being quarantined, too, a league source tells IndyStar, which first reported Brogdon's diagnosis.
Brogdon, who spent a lot of time at St. Vincent Center rehabilitating from a thigh/hip muscle injury during the NBA's hiatus, also has been active in leading social protests after the death of George Floyd. Multiple league sources aren't clear on the league's directives, or if there even is one, regarding positive tests before players arrive in Orlando where they'll go into the "bubble" before resuming play.
The NBA, which hopes to restart the season July 30, says it is offering players a ring whose maker claims it can track a user's health data and might even predict if users are about to show symptoms of coronavirus infection. But there's not much information yet on how well the device, which has embedded electronics, works. The $299 Oura ring is designed to monitor sleep, pulse, movement, heart activity and temperature, according to the company's website.
Some doctors are lukewarm about its potential. "There is not a lot of data on it right now. There have been some studies that I've seen -- most of the studies are published by the device manufacturers," Dr. Darria Long, an emergency room physician and clinical assistant professor at the University of Tennessee, told CNN.
Long says the potential to study large groups of people to see if there is useful data that can be collected is interesting. "But it does not replace any of the other things we should be doing, and the other steps that the NBA should be doing in terms of protecting their players, protecting their staff," Long said. They should still be doing pools of testing and regular testing -- all of those other things. Just don't let it give us a false sense of security. Don't stop wearing your mask because your Oura ring says you're OK. You know, don't skip testing because everybody's Oura ring says they're fine."
Marc Stein: German basketball's @easyCreditBBL completed its final round of COVID-19 testing today with no positive tests registered by the 10 teams over three weeks of play. The two-legged tournament championship tournament pits @MHP_RIESEN against @albaberlin on Friday and Sunday
Alykhan Bijani: Tilman Fertitta on NBA rerurn: “[Coronavirus] is here to stay. That’s why you’ve got to wear your mask. You can either panic and not keep playing games, or send people home that are sick and keep playing. And that’s what we’re gonna see is gonna happen.” pic.twitter.com/CApe7zzFMB
Rod Beard: On Tuesday, #Pistons rookie Louis King, a New Jersey native, and his family will be providing more than 150 meals to families and those affected by the pandemic in Jersey City, NJ. He will also be giving out autographed basketballs to the first 50 kids in attendance.
Shams Charania: Kings center Alex Len says he has tested positive for coronavirus. Statement from Len, who emerged as key rotation piece for Sacramento prior to NBA hiatus:
Sara Hodges: According to a source close to the @SacramentoKings at least 4 players have tested positive for COVID-19. The unnamed players will self-isolate for 14 days and will need two negative tests before entering the facility or before heading to Orlando, FL @CBSSacramento
Although league officials have maintained from the start of the N.B.A. shutdown on March 11 that players are supposed to avoid group workouts of any kind, permitting voluntary workouts only in team facilities now that all 30 are open, I’m told that the directives were always intended to be protective rather than punitive.
The state of Florida reported 11,365 new coronavirus cases over three days this past weekend — its three worst days on record. Orange County, home of Walt Disney World, reported 437 on Saturday — more than entire countries once considered epicenters of the pandemic. Test-positive rates topped 15 percent. Seven-day averages surged. And all of that, for an NBA attempting to finish its season at Disney in Orlando, is problematic, experts say. “Extremely concerning,” says Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University. “Absolutely,” says Bill Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
Shams Charania: Kings center Alex Len says he has tested positive for coronavirus. Statement from Len, who emerged as key rotation piece for Sacramento prior to NBA hiatus:
Sara Hodges: According to a source close to the @SacramentoKings at least 4 players have tested positive for COVID-19. The unnamed players will self-isolate for 14 days and will need two negative tests before entering the facility or before heading to Orlando, FL @CBSSacramento
Although league officials have maintained from the start of the N.B.A. shutdown on March 11 that players are supposed to avoid group workouts of any kind, permitting voluntary workouts only in team facilities now that all 30 are open, I’m told that the directives were always intended to be protective rather than punitive.
The state of Florida reported 11,365 new coronavirus cases over three days this past weekend — its three worst days on record. Orange County, home of Walt Disney World, reported 437 on Saturday — more than entire countries once considered epicenters of the pandemic. Test-positive rates topped 15 percent. Seven-day averages surged. And all of that, for an NBA attempting to finish its season at Disney in Orlando, is problematic, experts say. “Extremely concerning,” says Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University. “Absolutely,” says Bill Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.
Shams Charania: Kings guard Buddy Hield has tested positive for coronavirus, sources tell me and @Sam Amick.
Sean Cunningham: NBA sources confirm Buddy Hield testing positive for COVID-19. Buddy had been back in the Dallas area, then played in the Skinz League Game two weeks ago in Oklahoma where he scored 45 points.
Today, Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker issued the following statement: “Several days ago I tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately self-isolated in Chicago which is where I remain. I am progressing in my recovery and feeling well. I look forward to joining my teammates in Orlando as we return to the court for the resumption of the NBA season.”
Sam Amick: Source says the Kings’ recent Corey Brewer addition was a response to the revelation that Jabari Parker had tested positive. As I wrote today, the timeline for a positive test turnaround in Orlando is tight
Sean Cunningham: According to multiple sources, the Sacramento Kings have had a player test positive for COVID-19. The identity of the player is not known.
When the NBA travels to the Orlando bubble to resume their season, the league is providing players and staff with a smart ring that can help as an early predictor of coronavirus. But the Oura health tracker ring was not originally intended to detect coronavirus and it happened almost by surprise, the company’s CEO told CNBC on Tuesday.
“It started with our users,” Harpreet Rai, chief executive officer of Oura, said in a “Squawk Box” interview. “One user of ours in Finland was traveling in early March. His scores were normally in the 80s or 90s and he noticed his readiness score dropped to 50 and that caused him to get tested. He was positive for coronavirus.”
As the NBA heads to Walt Disney World in Florida, the league is making available a host of technological bells and whistles to both players and staff including the Oura ring. Rai said the league has ordered more than 1,000 Oura rings. “They felt like giving the players and staff an added rate of protection and frankly peace of mind,” he told CNBC.
“I think it (the NBA season) is going to get off the ground,” Fertitta said. “I don’t know if it’s going to stay. But we’re going to do whatever. You’re going to follow the protocols. It’s no different from one of our businesses. If somebody’s sick, you send them home. Everybody else watch themselves. Sanitize the establishment, and you have to move on."
“If you’re not willing to say, ‘Oh my gosh, (hypothetically) three people tested today for the Houston Rockets, and three people tested today for the LA Lakers. Those guys go home, and we’re going to play the games” — if we’re not willing to recognize that that’s going to be what happens, then we’re not going to complete the season, not in football, baseball, basketball or whatever.”
“The coronavirus is everywhere right now,” Fertitta said. “I know 100 people now that have had it, and I knew nobody that had it three weeks ago, four weeks ago, six weeks ago. Two of my kids have already had it out of my four and are well now and back to their normal lives and never got that sick. It’s here to stay. That’s why you have to wear your mask.”
According to people with knowledge of the situation and the NBA’s health and safety manual that The Times reviewed, Lakers doctors could “protect” McGee and any other players they deem to be at high risk. A week ago, players had to complete a three-page medical questionnaire and team doctors must evaluate them by Thursday. Among the questions for players and traveling staff was whether or not the person has or had suffered from moderate to severe asthma.
Scott Agness: Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon confirms that he tested positive for coronavirus. "I'm doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and playoffs."
J. Michael Falgoust: Malcolm Brogdon has tested positive for COVID-19, league sources tells @IndyStarSports
Some are terrified, not only for the people who could spend up to three months in COVID-19 ravaged Florida starting in mid-July but also for the incredible damage the league could incur for years to come if too many players test positive and it all comes crashing down. “If the cases keep spiking in Florida, things are going to happen,” one GM told The Athletic on Monday. “I’m really, really concerned for the league big-picture wise in many, many ways.”
Others are mildly concerned, trusting of Commissioner Adam Silver and his staff that shared their 113-page “Health and Safety Protocols” memo with teams last week but also wary of the physical risks and mental health challenges that this unnatural environment will present for players and staff members alike. And that was before the positive tests of players such as Denver’s Nikola Jokic started rolling in on Tuesday. “It’s the hindsight of ‘Was it worth it?’ that worries me,” another GM said. “If something happens, it’s (the question of) ‘Was it worth it?’ If everything goes great, it’s historic, and it’ll be remembered throughout history. ‘Remember the Bubble?’ or whatever they’re going to call it. It’ll be a special thing as long as we can make it through.”
Sources say the Clippers have been the most vocal when it comes to pushing for more family and friends to be allowed earlier in the timeline, with their routinely-stated hope (via weekly calls between the NBA and front office executives) that the league will eventually allow at least one family member or friend to join players at the start of the first round. “They’re fighting for that,” a rival GM said.
In Le Parisien, he recalls this terrible experience of last March, and that label of pariah and scapegoat that was affixed to him when the disease was announced. "The NBA was waiting for a first case to stop the championship, it fell on me! I became the image of the coronavirus for the Americans, the domino that triggered the end of the season, but it was not I who brought the virus to the United States."
Besides, he still hasn't recovered all of his sensory faculties. "The taste has returned, but the smell is still not 100%. I can smell the smells, but not from afar. I spoke to specialists, who told me that it could take up to a year," he reveals in a column in L'Equipe.
Nuggets franchise center Nikola Jokic has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently back in Serbia, multiple league sources told The Denver Post. Citing medical privacy, the Nuggets declined comment.
All NBA players were to be back in market on June 22, and players who were overseas were to be back in market on June 15. Jokic was granted an exception by the NBA to stay in Sombor longer, however, during his recent trip, he tested positive.
Eight days ago Jokic was in Belgrade for an exhibition basketball game. One of the players who participated in the game, and was later seen in close proximity to Jokic, tested positive soon after.
Brad Turner: Sources: Lakers began mandatory COVID-19 testing today at team facility. The swab test lasted about 5 minutes and it was 2 through the nose and 1 through the throat.
Adam Wexler: #Rockets owner @TilmanJFertitta on @CNBC said NBA teams will have to recognize games will need to be played w/o players who test positive in order to complete the season (same for NFL, MLB, etc.) Also said 2 of his kids had coronavirus & are now fine, doing well. #COVID__19 #NBA pic.twitter.com/5MBb2DODVO
Last Tuesday through Saturday, according to state data, 17 percent of coronavirus tests in the county returned positive results. That was a significant jump from the 10-day period before that, from June 6 to 15, when the positive rate was 5 percent. The spike is yet another source of apprehension to manage for league and union officials, who just emerged from weeks of complicated discussions to come to terms on all the health and safety restrictions for its restart beginning July 7.
The main weakness in the N.B.A.’s approach, Halkitis said, is the prospect of players or team staff members leaving the campus without authorization and exposing themselves to the coronavirus — or “workers who are not staying on the grounds” bringing it in. “Do I 100 percent believe that people aren’t going to leave?” Halkitis said. “I mean, these are adults, right? Human behavior is really hard to control.”
For an NBA attempting to finish its season at Disney in Orlando, is problematic, experts say. “Extremely concerning,” says Zachary Binney, an epidemiologist at Emory University. “Absolutely,” says Bill Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University. “Of course, they should be concerned about case numbers around where they’re trying to build their bubble,” says Jared Baeten, an epidemiology professor at the University of Washington. “Yes,” says Kathleen Bachynski, a public health professor at Muhlenberg College. “And that’s because a true bubble is just really, really hard to create.”
“That is a very serious outbreak, and it’s going to get worse,” Binney says. “This is very quickly approaching scram reactor territory for me. Even with a bubble plan. I’m deeply, deeply worried. “I still like the NBA’s plan,” he clarifies. “This is not the NBA’s fault. This is the state of Florida’s fault. The NBA has done nothing wrong, other than putting their eggs in the Orlando basket.”
The NBA will administer tens of thousands of tests while at Disney. It will spend large sums on advanced technology. “If the numbers are spiking in the local community, it would also be important to think about, well, where are we pouring all these resources?” Bachynski asks. “And is that really the right thing to do?” Says Binney: “If there’s that much disease, and there’s that much of a severe outbreak, and if hospitals start to get overwhelmed, and you don’t have enough testing there, which they don’t ... if the situation still looks like this next month, I’m not sure how you could start.”
The test is not mandatory and will be used on players, coaches and staff from NBA teams who voluntarily opt in to the study. There is buy-in from the NBPA. “Our players are excited to be a part of this study," NBPA chief medical officer Joe Rogowski. “Not only does it offer the potential for players to have an alternative method of testing within the NBA Campus in Orlando, but more importantly it allows them to leverage their regular testing to make a larger contribution to public health in the fight against this virus."
Since NBA players will be tested regularly for COVID-19, this will give researchers a chance to compare test results. This would help allow submission to the FDA for widespread approval. Researchers are seeking fast approval so that the general public could have access to SalivaDirect by mid-July.
Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins told the Orlando Sentinel on Friday the NBA restart committee feels confident in the league’s safety plans. “We had a number of guiding principles as we had discussions about the restart and how we would restart, and the No. 1 guiding principle for us, for the league overall, is the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff that will be on the campus at Disney,” Martins said. “We have consulted with some of the top medical experts in the country, epidemiologists from Columbia University and Johns Hopkins, and others, [including] a former surgeon general [Vivek Murthy].
“So a lot of time and effort has been put into the safety protocols. We’re confident that the protocols that are in place will keep everybody on the Disney campus confined and amongst each other, and with little to no exposure of anyone else from the community. So in saying that, I’m confident that we have a safe plan in place and that despite the recent rise in cases in Florida that it will be a safe environment for all of our players, coaches and staff that are at Disney.”
With two major hospital systems in Orlando, leagues officials also are confident they won’t use medical supplies needed elsewhere while treating any emergency injuries. “I absolutely believe it still makes sense,” Martins said. “There will be no impact on local resources whatsoever. Both our team and our league have been in contact with the Florida Department of Health, and Dr. [Raul] Pino, [the Health Officer for the Department of Health in Orange County] in particular, and we’ve been assured there are plenty of resources available for our local residents and that we won’t be having any negative impact on that whatsoever.”
If the season gets canceled, players would lose $1.2 billion in salary (or 35 percent of their total pay), according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Also, the NBA would lose $2 billion in revenue, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. NBA agents have been delivering “stern warnings” to their players recently, explaining “the financial implications of a lost season,” writes Wojnarowski.
This $2 billion drop in league revenue would have a significant effect on the NBA’s salary cap. Before this Orlando plan came together, experts like John Hollinger and Danny LeRoux of The Athletic estimated that a canceled regular season could lead to an $8 million dip in the cap (as HoopsHype outlined). But if the NBA playoffs were canceled as well, the cap could decrease by more than $10 million (with some estimating a dip of approximately $15 million).
As agents have warned their players, the long-term consequences of canceling the season could be even more severe than the short-term hit. If the NBA couldn’t resume play because the majority of players decided to sit out, there’s a strong possibility that the owners would terminate the current collective bargaining agreement and force a lockout. (If the cancellation was due to COVID-19, it seems unlikely that the owners would terminate the CBA). Right now, the CBA is relatively player-friendly, but that could change if the season is canceled and the CBA is ripped up.
Some players have argued that if they don’t play in Orlando, they’d be missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make their voices heard on the biggest stage imaginable. If the NBA resumes the 2019-20 season next month, millions of people who are missing sports are expected to watch (even if they aren’t big basketball fans), giving players an enormous platform.
