Report: NBA advised it might not resume until June

With the NBA season suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the league is making financial preparations after being advised that the earliest play may be able to resume is June, ESPN reported Tuesday night. Photo: Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

With the NBA season suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the league is making financial preparations after being advised that the earliest play may be able to resume is June, ESPN reported Tuesday night. Photo: Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Published Mar 18, 2020

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With the NBA season suspended because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the

league is making financial preparations after being advised that the earliest

play may be able to resume is June, ESPN reported Tuesday night.

Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that former Surgeon General Vivek

Murthy, who joined the league's board of governors in a Tuesday conference

call, shared his view that America's recovery from the pandemic was far from

over and may not be for some time.

Accordingly, the NBA is working through plans to increase its credit line by

an additional $550 million up to $1.2 billion as a means to assist with

expenses for what may be a prolonged shutdown.

Murthy apparently was a bit more optimistic in recent days about a more

limited spread of the virus, although sources told Wojnarowski, "No one left

that call thinking we could be playing anytime soon."

Per the report, teams are hoping the NBA can give them planned dates to

possibly resume the season -- whether or not it's the regular season and

postseason, or playoffs only. But Wojnarowski said the league is remaining

patient as owners wait for more tangible estimates on potential lost revenues

before committing to any revised calendar.

Wojnarowski reported that the NBA is plotting options involving ending the

season completely, tipping it off again but without fans, or waiting until the

playoffs to allow spectators in arenas. Changes also reportedly could include

a reduction in the length of playoff series.

Field Level Media

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