The National Basketball Association has officially lifted the league ban triggered by COVID-19, but things are moving very slowly right now. Players can voluntarily return to practice with their teams under very specific conditions, and only where state governments allow it.
As of Friday, Miami still hadn’t allowed players to return to practice facilities because it still had some logistical issues to iron out. Both Orlando and Utah have said that they are not in rush to allow players back on the floor either.
Utah is where coronavirus woes started for the NBA this year, after player, Rudy Gobert tested positive in early March. Within a blink of an eye, the NBA shut down its league and, as of now, the vast majority of teams aren’t allowed to play because of state laws.
On March 11th, the NBA said that it would be “using this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.” While initially NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and team owners thought that they could play games with only essential personnel and no fans, reality soon put a stop to those plans. Owners started pushing to suspend operations altogether, and it was eventually local and state governments who shut down practice and games altogether.
The hiatus has now turned into a two month break, but players are still itching to go back and finish off the season. That’s not to mention the billions that the industry stands to lose from lost revenue and sponsorship. Nevertheless, the league wants to proceed with extreme caution, strongly aware how many people have been affected by the virus on a global scale.
That’s not to say that the NBA has put this season to rest altogether. Should the season resume, players will be tested. Other leagues have also resumed some of their activity, albeit under very strict conditions. Baseball, for example, is being played in South Korea once more, while the top soccer league in Germany has permitted some players to return to their training facilities.
