The NBA has been exploring the idea of resuming the season in a “bubble” city where all teams would compete and players would temporarily live.
Las Vegas has been cited as a logical fit, but Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida could work even better, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports, who was a Walt Disney Company employee for nearly 20 years.
The logistics behind the idea
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex would serve as the main spot for games.
The HP Field House is set up to host games and the broadcast setup is also in place.
The Visa Center can be set up to host up to six full-sized basketball courts or be set up stadium-style with one main court.
The broadcast is also already setup.
Disney World has more than enough hotel rooms on their 39 square-mile property, so the players could stay in two hotels: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
The Art of Animation Resort has nearly 2,000 rooms, while Pop Century has nearly 2,900 for a total of about 4,900 rooms between the two.
Both resorts feature food and drink locations that could be adjusted to accommodate all NBA personnel.
The brand-new Riviera Resort could also be an option for players if more high-end living is requested.
The NBA also has an existing broadcast with Disney, which owns ESPN and ABC.
Professional sports are “essential services” in Florida
Recently, professional sports in Florida have been deemed as “essential” by Governor Ron DeSantis.
This would create a smoother path to playing games than the NBA might have in other states.
“Employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience – including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production – only if the location is closed to the general public” – fall under “essential,” according to a State of Florida essential services additions memo.
In other words, nationally televised pro sports could take place in empty arenas in Florida.
Commissioner Adam Silver previously said that discussions and decisions regarding the rest of the NBA season will likely occur in early May.
