Jim Gray says 'NBA will be back' and 'will crown a champion this season'

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Jim Gray on talks to resume NBA season

Sportscaster Jim Gray joins Eric Shawn to discuss talks to resume NBA season at Walt Disney World Resort.

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Veteran sports journalist and Fox News contributor Jim Gray appeared on "America's News HQ" Saturday and reacted to the news that the NBA was in talks with Disney to use the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Fla., predicting that the basketball season will continue in July.

"The NBA Board of Governors is now examining what is going to be placed in front of them for a vote next Friday. And right now, the indications are that they will start up again, that they will commence training camp somewhere around June 15 to 20," Gray told host Eric Shawn.

"Unknown right now if that'll be in their indigenous cities or if they will go to the bubble, the bubble will be Orlando,"  he continued. "Those negotiations are ongoing, and then they'll start up games after the Fourth of July. Not certain yet if they'll go into a round-robin to play into the playoffs or have maybe five regular-season games and then start the playoffs. All of this would commence in September, with the NBA finals at the end of the month."

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"I predict the NBA will be back and they will crown a champion this season," Gray said, adding that it would be under the currently proposed scenario.

Gray laid out the elements that need to be worked out before play can resume, including issues with international players and the defending champions, the Toronto Raptors.

"You can't wear a mask and play basketball. You couldn't breathe. So that's not going to be possible. But they're putting all of these conditions and regulations into place," Gray explained. "It is a logistical, huge, huge, big undertaking. The quarantine issue is also an issue as to how to keep all of them in the quarantine and in the bubble and then also have the hotel workers, the officials, the coaches and everybody who is necessary for an NBA game. Television personnel to televise it, to get this all up and running."

"And there [are] some quarantine issues because you have players now who are international players. They've gone back to their homes so that they have to get back into the country and then come into the country, stay in quarantine for 14 days," Gray said. "Plus, you have international teams like the Toronto Raptors, the NBA champions. That's a whole other issue to get them down into the country."

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Shawn also asked Gray for a prediction for MLB, something the sportscaster wasn't as optimistic about.

"Major League Baseball is a much different issue. They have a very strong union and the union and the owners are very far apart. They are going to get a proposal from the owners. It will be a financial disaster for Major League Baseball to not play. So it's the difference between not playing and losing a ton of money, or losing a lot of money and playing," Gray said. "The Major League Baseball owners are in a real bad circumstance and they need the cooperation of Major League Baseball players and its union. Otherwise, there won't be a season."