The National Basketball Association (NBA) does not rule out a scenario to suspend the championship if there are a large number of Covid-19-infected people, League commissioner Edam Silvers revealed in the Time magazine podcast “100 Talks”.
The NBA season will resume on July 31 with 22 teams meeting at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.
“We have realized that the virus is unpredictable, so we are constantly monitoring the data with the basketball players and the players’ association. If something unexpected happens, we will have to change our plans,” Silvers said.
The NBA commissioner also said that Covid-19 tests are performed every day.
“If there are a lot of cases and the virus spreads in our community, it could of course be a reason to stop the tournament,” Silvers said.
He could not specify exactly how high the prevalence of Covid-19 would be as a reason to suspend the season, but said the NBA would continue to work with scientists, doctors and experts.
In the first round of NBA coronavirus testing, Covid-19 found 16 of the 302 basketball players tested.
The closing of the season’s tournament in Orlando has caused concern for many, as more than 6,000 new cases were diagnosed in the state of Florida on Tuesday, the second highest number since the pandemic began.
