Finally, some good news for basketball fans: the NBA Board of Governors reportedly approved the 22-team plan to resume the 2019-20 season tentatively on July 31 in Orlando, Florida.
League Commissioner Adam Silver said, "The Board's approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season. While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts."
An eight-game slate at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex will formally restart the season, with all teams staying, practicing, and playing at the Disney — some until October, when the NBA Finals is expected to happen. This will decide the playoff seeding and if a play-in tournament for the eighth spots is necessary.
Players, from squads that qualified to those who just saw their season cut short, took to social media to air their thoughts on the huge development:
Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers)
Bobby Portis (New York Knicks)
Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic)
Patrick Beverley (LA Clippers)
The topic "Lakers in 4" also trended on Twitter, most likely due to overconfident fans of the Purple and Gold. To be fair, LeBron James and Co. are sitting atop the Western Conference with a 49-14 win-loss record (8-2 in their last 10 games) when the season got suspended.
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