The NBA suspended play on the night of March 11th but has now been scheduled to return on July 31st in Orlando, Florida. While spectators are anxiously awaiting the return of professional basketball, ESPN Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that a faction of players is hesitant to resume play.
Sources: As NBA and NBPA are finalizing terms on return-to-play plan today, there’s a faction of players discussing as a group whether restarting season in the Orlando bubble is a good idea. Several dozen players participated in a conference call in last 24 hours to discuss it.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2020
The NBA and NBPA are nearing completion on items needed to reach a final agreement on parameters of a return-to-play, sources said. Some players with hesitation have been discussing a number of issues on return, including family concerns, COVID-19, social justice, and more.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 10, 2020
These concerns come amid the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis as well as the mass protests targeting police brutality and racial injustice in response to the death of George Floyd.
The 22 teams involved in the NBA return at Walt Disney World next month will complete eight more regular season games and then the entirety of a playoff schedule, while the risk of coronavirus infection among players continues to raise concerns.
