NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s approach to handling the coronavirus pandemic has earned him trust among owners and players.
Those owners and players have allowed Silver the room he needs to operate, govern and make the decision on resuming play amid the pandemic, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
There have been no power grabs or public criticisms from wealthy and powerful people around the league so far.
Those billionaires have left the shutdown to Silver, as well as the resumption and reshaping of possibly a new NBA calendar.
During the board of governors call this week, one team owner expressed great confidence in Silver’s ability.
“Don’t underestimate your power to set the public perception,” the owner said to Silver.
Even before the NBA suspended the season on March 11, the league had reportedly been in contact with teams to make sure they were prepared for the possibility of COVID-19 affecting the season.
The NBA sent a memo to all 30 teams on March 7 instructing them to “have an arrangement with an infectious disease specialist, identify a facility that can conduct testing for COVID-19, create a plan to limit the number of team and arena staff who have close contact with players and have a process to distribute hand sanitizer to players and team staff.”
Wojnarowski’s report also added that the NBA is studying how teams could get creative in order to get some fans to games.
If necessary, teams could have about 15 to 20 percent seating capacity.
There’s also a discussion on having fans wear masks and limiting the attendance of those who are in a vulnerable age group and those with pre-existing conditions.
On the board of governors call, Silver also said he is hoping to make a decision on resuming the season within two to four weeks.
