NBA teams will be able to open their facilities from May 1, but only if they are in a state that maintains indications of social distancing or without confinement and only for individual training.
The move, which the NBA teams met on Saturday, is not so much an action to restart the season but a reaction to the fact that several states have eased the restrictions, the Los Angeles Times confirmed.
Georgia’s restrictions have been lifted at gyms this week, and Oklahoma plans to do the same next week, while Texas may also open some gyms soon. The NBA, according to agency sources, would prefer its players to be in controlled settings at an NBA facility rather than at local gyms.
That seems to give teams in those states an advantage over teams playing in the states most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the four teams in California, where orders to stay home are indefinite. The league ordered the closure of the NBA training facility by March 20.
During a conference call this month, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he expected there would be joint directions. “Because we operate in many different jurisdictions, we have to pay close attention to the different rules, state by state, city by city. But at the end of the day, we are a national league, so we feel it behooves us to establish what we believe in. which are the right standards for our players, “said Silver.
“We will be influenced by what the municipalities do. We are taking all the data. We are not only listening to our supposed experts, we follow the advice of other leagues as an opportunity to listen and learn. But I think it is clear that to lead a league you need a consistent set of national rules, “he concluded.
