By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Adam Silver as a part of ESPN’s The Return of Sports featuring interviews with commissioners of North America’s major sports leagues presented his view on the restart planned by the NBA. Concerns voiced by players were among the topics discussed by the NBA commissioner.
“I can only say, it may not be for everyone,” he said replying to a question regarding resuming action amid the coronavirus pandemic and the protests against racism and police brutality, “It will entail enormous sacrifice on behalf of those players and for everyone involved, the coaches, the referees. It’s not an ideal situation.”
The NBA is looking to conclude the 2019-20 season bringing 22 teams to Orlando for a single-site tournament. The campaign was halted on March 11, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re trying to find a way to our own normal in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of essentially a recession or worse with 40 million unemployed,” Silver explained, “And now with enormous social unrest in the country. So as we work through these issues, I can understand how some players may feel that it’s not for them.”
Focusing on the NBA restart potentially drawing attention away from the fight against racism and police brutality, he suggested getting back on the court may provide a platform for players to express their opinions.
“For the country, we think it will be a respite from enormous difficulties that people are dealing with in their lives right now,” he said, “And I also think that in terms of social justice issues, it’ll be an opportunity for NBA players and the greater community to draw attention to these issues because the world’s attention will be on the NBA in Orlando, Florida if we can pull this off.”
“My sense is, we’re going to be able to work through most of those issues during the next few weeks, but as I’ve said, we also have an arrangement with the player’s association where if a player chooses not to come, it’s not a breach of his contract. We accept that.”
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