The Houston Rockets are sticking with their previously reported timeline of opening Toyota Center to their players on Monday, May 18.
General manager Daryl Morey confirmed the team’s intentions in a tweet on Saturday morning. May 18 is the date when gyms in Texas can resume operations under the second phase of the state’s reopening plan.
The Rockets have not had players at Toyota Center since March 19, which was when the NBA decided to shut all team facilities in an effort to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The league gave teams the choice to welcome players back beginning May 8, if it could be done in accordance with government guidelines for the area.
For now, NBA facilities will only be opened on a limited basis for individual player workouts under strict physical distancing protocols, and not for any sort of conventional group practice. Head coaches, such as Mike D’Antoni in Houston, are not yet allowed to attend. Nonetheless, it is still a significant milestone as the league begins to ramp up operations.
The exact timetable of a return to more traditional practices, along with eventually resuming the 2019-20 season, remains unknown. However, several media reports this week have cited positive momentum for a potential league restart at a neutral location (without fans) this summer.
