NBA Commissioner Adam Silver remains optimistic about the league’s plans to restart the 2019-20 season at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
Earlier this month, the NBA defined its strategy to limit player exposure to COVID-19. Silver addressed the situation in the Time 100 Talks (via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk):
“I am pretty confident, especially because we are playing on a confined campus as the only way to gain access to that campus is to be part of our protocol where there are regular tests. And if anyone were to leave our campus , they would need to test and quarantine to be able to return to play. So, at least in terms of model, we are protected from the rate of cases in the wider community. “
Many players have expressed reservations about the resumption of the Florida season, which has surged in positive COVID-19 cases. The state has 152,434 confirmed cases.
Silver said it believes the NBA plan will provide an additional layer of protection:
“I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus because there are not many situations I know of where there are mass tests on asymptomatic employees. Somehow, this is perhaps a model for how others industries may eventually open up. But I’m just going to say that we will be responsible and look at what’s going on, but the biggest indicator will be if we start to see a spread in our community”.