The NBA will allow teams to open their practice facilities in some cities beginning May 1.
With the COVID-19 situation putting the brakes on the sports world, the NBA has made a pretty significant step in getting closer to the notion of still having a season.
Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that beginning on May 1, the NBA will allow teams to open practice facilities to players. There are, of course, a few restrictions. The biggest is that they will only be open on a voluntary basis for individual work, meaning we won’t see full team workouts just yet. It’s a small step in the right direction, but still a big priority for the NBA.
He went on to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean that a season is immediately on horizon. However, some states as we’ve seen, are starting to loosen their stance on stay-at-home orders, as long as proper precautions are being taken.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced plans for the state to begin reopening, so the Oklahoma City Thunder could possibly be one of the teams to take that step. However there are several teams that are in cities that have yet to loosen those restrictions. California is home to four NBA teams, and the league will likely work with them to figure out a plan that allows them to start practicing.
What this simply means is teams can begin opening practice facilities. But the league certainly doesn’t want players going to public fitness centers to start working out. NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted several days ago that the league can’t make decisions about the rest of the season, but they are looking at options and seeing what the future holds.
New York, Boston, and New Orleans all still have severe numbers of COVID-19 cases, so they would have to join the four California teams in figuring out something with the league. That being said, nothing has been confirmed as to who will be allowed to begin opening their facilities.
It’s still a much-needed bright spot in sports, as it gives fans a glimmer of hope regarding the continuation of the 2019-20 season and other leagues as well. MLB has already missed its first month of scheduled play, and with the NFL Draft being held this weekend, eyes are on college football and the NFL regarding the possibility of play this year.