NBA's Adam Silver 'cautiously optimistic' about season's restart, expects live games will be bigger challenge
'The real test will come when players are commingling, playing basketball without masks,' he said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The NBA’s restarted season in the Disney World bubble is about to begin.
Commissioner Adam Silver told The New York Times in an interview published Monday that he was “cautiously optimistic” the rest of the season will stay on track despite the persistence of the coronavirus outbreak.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“From my standpoint, it's going very well, and I'm cautiously optimistic that we're on the right track,” Silver told the newspaper. “But I also recognize what we're doing has not been done before, and the competition is just beginning. The real test will come when players are commingling, playing basketball without masks and without physical distancing.”
Silver also acknowledged the challenges players face being wrapped up in Orlando, Fla., away from their families and the constant threat of possibly contracting the virus for months at a time. Several players have already had to quarantine for breaking protocol rules while others were permitted to leave because over family reasons.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It requires significant sacrifice from our players,” Silver told The New York Times.
So far, the NBA bubble appears to be working.
Last week, the NBA revealed that out of the 346 players who tested for coronavirus zero returned positive tests.
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The league is expected to tip-off Thursday.