With the coronavirus pandemic shutting down wide swaths of the U.S. and Canadian economies, a debate grows over whether the NBA and other sports should re-start their season in the short- to medium-term future.
Even among players, there’s a range of perspectives given the inherent risk participating in any resumption of league activities entails.
Creating an isolated “campus” in which players could be isolated once rapid testing is readily available is an idea gaining traction not just in the NBA but Major League Baseball as well, though logistics would remain a major challenge to actually make it feasible and relatively safe.
But with that inherent risk, there will need to be player support — how are players feeling about such a possibility?
In a recent interview with team reporter Amanda Pflugrad, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum discussed exactly this topic, and a number of issues related to COVID-19 hiatus.
“From from all the guys I’ve talked to and all the conversations that I’ve heard, everybody wants to play,” began the Duke product.
He is however quick to attach conditions any worker ought to support in times like these.
“I think that’s the consensus throughout the league — that that we obviously want to play, but under the right circumstances, and we got to just put trust in … the league and in the [Player’s] Union, understand that they’ll make the right decision.”
Another major issue is that any such scenario would almost certainly take place in empty arenas, as a safety measure against furthering the spread of the disease, given it would simply not be feasible to test fans on their way into the arena.
“Obviously, I don’t think it’s a perfect scenario, [or] that playing without fans would be fun,” Tatum continued.
“Nobody’s really ever experienced that,” he added. “I’m not sure that I would be in favor of playing without fans. But I don’t think that putting anybody’s health or life at risk is more important. So, right now is just waiting.”
The former Blue Devil is optimistic, though — at least concerning a recovery in the near future if a bit less so about a return to action.
“Hopefully [the pandemic] goes down, and goes away. But at the moment, everybody’s just waiting and trying to stay ready if there’s a season that comes back.”
