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Jonathan White

The NBA has pointedly not made an announcement over the resumption of the 2019-20 season but there are reasons for optimism.
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Ferttita told US president Donald Trump that he believed the season will resume, in a round table discussion for the restaurant industry on Monday.
Fertitta, who owns hospitality giant Landry’s Inc as well as the Rockets, was asked by Trump about basketball, meaning the NBA, which has been suspended since March 11.
“I think what they’re doing is waiting to see what happens in certain states and if we’re going to be able to play,” Fertitta said.

The interaction between Tilman Fertitta and President Donald Trump about #Rockets GM Daryl Morey

Fertitta: “You know, it’s funny you brought up about China. I should have realized it was gonna be a bad year for China when my general manager tweeted out “Freedom for Hong Kong.” pic.twitter.com/oywIGoDgsW
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) May 18, 2020

“Making sure the virus continues to go in the right direction in the next few weeks. And if things are going in the way that it’s going, I think the NBA, the commissioner Adam Silver, who has done an unbelievable job through this, and the 30 owners will make the decision to try to start the season up again.”
Trump asked explicitly whether the season would finish: “Will you finish the season or not?”
Trump jokes with Rockets owner over controversial Hong Kong protest China tweet
“I think that there’s talk about finishing the season playing X number of games,” Fertitta said. “The players need to play to get paid, and right now they’re taking a 25 per cent pay cut. They own 50 per cent of our revenue, unlike the other sports. And so they want that revenue, even if it’s not the people-in-the-stands revenue, so they can get paid.”
Trump then followed up with whether the NBA would go straight to the play-offs, which Fertitta dismissed.
“I think that we would play some games just to get it going again and create interest and then go right into the play-offs,” he said. “But I think it’ll be great for America. We’re all missing sports and everybody wants to see these great NBA teams.”

NBA teams that have either already opened their practice facilities or will be open for voluntary workouts as of Monday:

Cavaliers
Trail Blazers
Nuggets
Grizzlies
Heat
Magic
Bucks
Raptors
Hawks
Pacers
Jazz
Kings
Lakers
Clippers
Rockets
Pelicans
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 18, 2020

Elsewhere, some owners have already decided to allow their players to return to training.
With the opening of their training facilities on Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets took the number of NBA teams holding voluntary sessions to 17 of the 30 in the league, according to The New York Times.
The other teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Last Dance was perfect nostalgia for coronavirus times
If the NBA calls off the regular season and goes straight to the play-offs with the current standings, then 13 of the 16 teams in the play-offs have resumed training.
Those that have not are the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The other teams yet to resume training are the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards.


The NBA has been suspended since March 11, with the teams at least 63 games into their 82-game regular season. Some had played 66.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has said he hopes to see the league resume “sooner rather than later” as long as health could be guaranteed.
“Definitely not giving up on the season,” he told the “WRTS: After Party” show in an episode released on Monday.


“Not only myself and my teammates, the Lakers organisation, we want to play. There’s a lot of players that want to play. And obviously, we don’t ever want to jeopardise the health of any of our players or any of the players’ families and so on and so on. This is a pandemic that we have no idea [about]. We can’t control it.”
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens echoed James’ desire to return.
“In an ideal world, I don’t think there’s any question, everybody associated with all these teams, especially with all of us that are in play-offs, we want to play,” Stevens told Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari on his “Coffee with Cal” show.


However, former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy warned against a restart on The Sean Salisbury Show on US radio.
“These are going to be really hard questions to answer, before you restart. And so for Adam Silver, I think he’s done everything right. I think he’s been cautious, but I think everybody wants their money; the league, the networks, the teams and the players. So I think they’re going to try to restart, I’m just not sure how pragmatic that is.”
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jnr, who has Crohn’s Disease, pleaded for understanding from the NBA for those with pre-existing health conditions.
Michael Jordan shoe sales soar amid The Last Dance nostalgia
“I would hope there would be an understanding if someone didn’t feel comfortable coming back that’d you get a pass,” Nance told ESPN. “Just because you may look like the picture of health, some people have issues you can’t see.”

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Houston Rockets guard James Harden drives to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin in the team’s last NBA game on March 10. Photo: USA Today Sports

Donald Trump jokes about Daryl Morey’s Hong Kong protest China tweet with Houston Rockets at White House

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey created controversy with a tweet in support of Hong Kong protests. Photo: Troy Taormina/USA Today

Basketball fans mocking basketball star LeBron James during a protest at Southorn Playground in Wan Chai in support of Daryl Morey, general manager of Houston Rockets. Morey sparked a row between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Beijing earlier earlier over his Twitter post in support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. 15OCT19 SCMP / Sam Tsang

Hong Kong basketball fans mocking basketball star LeBron James during a protest in support of Daryl Morey, general manager of Houston Rockets last year. Photo: Sam Tsang

NBA or Team USA may return to China, says commissioner Adam Silver

Team USA's Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade bite their gold medals on the podium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Coronavirus: Jeremy Lin calls out Donald Trump for ‘empowering racism’ on Twitter

Jeremy Lin after his first Beijing Ducks training session in October, 2019. The Chinese Basketball Association remains suspended. Photo: Simon Song

CCTV pulls NBA China Games broadcast in response to Adam Silver’s support for Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey’s right to free speech

Brooklyn Nets’ players share a laugh during an exhibition game against at the Sesi/France club in Brazil over the weekend. Photo: AP

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center, shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, left, and Taj Gibson during the basketball match of the 2017 NBA Global Games in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 01: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media before Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 1, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Sport

Basketball


NBA’s return from coronavirus hiatus raised by president at the White House on Monday, but former Rockets coach pleads caution
LeBron James eager for return while Cleveland Cavaliers’ Larry Nance hopes for ‘understanding’ over health concerns



NBA’s return from coronavirus hiatus raised by president at the White House on Monday, but former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy pleads caution.


Donald Trump

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories