While there seems to be positive momentum regarding the potential resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season, a large part of the league’s final decision will ultimately rest with individual players.
While the league can work to reduce the risks from COVID-19, which has halted the season since March 12, it can’t eliminate risk entirely for the players who would actually be playing basketball during the pandemic. As a result, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta says he will respect any decision made by the players on his team.
In a Wednesday interview with Houston’s ABC 13, Fertitta said:
It’s really up to the players, and if they want to play, gosh, I want to watch them play. But if they don’t want to play because they’re worried about their safety, I’m fine with it. It’s totally up to my players.
The distraction of sports: that’s that part of our psyche, and sports is religion. And, you know, we feel like we have a really good team this year and we’re excited to play.
A diverse group of star NBA players — including Houston’s own Russell Westbrook — reportedly spoke by phone earlier this week and are unanimously in support of playing.
With the league likely to resume at a neutral “bubble” site such as Orlando or Las Vegas for quarantine reasons, Fertitta said he believes people will quickly adapt to watching sports without fans. He said:
Is it going to be weird not having fans? Yes, but everything we do every day is a little different. So that’s just one more thing.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is said to be targeting a final decision about the 2019-20 season within the next two-to-four weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
