The NBA announced the return date of the 2019/20 after a couple of months without basketball activity. The coronavirus outbreak in the USA and Rudy Gobert testing positive for the illness prompted the league to suspend the season, but now we have an official date when the league will resume action next July 31.
That is some normality for the league, but things won’t be as smooth or as regular as we could think. They need to be very careful and take some directions to prevail everybody’s health, from players, staffers, and even coaches. That is why Adam Silver announced some COVID-19-related safety measures will be in place in Orlando.
As per Tim Reynolds, the NBA commissioner says it is possible that “certain coaches” may not be able to be the bench coach when play resumes at Disney “in order to protect them.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that people who are 65 or older are at a higher risk for contracting the coronavirus. That said, several coaches in the league are older than that, so that means they probably won’t be on the bench when the league resumes action.
Adam Silver says it is possible that "certain coaches" may not be able to be the bench coach when play resumes at Disney "in order to protect them."
Gregg Popovich is 71. Mike D'Antoni is 69. Alvin Gentry is 65.
The CDC says people 65 and older are at higher risk.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 5, 2020
Gregg Popovich of San Antonio is 71. Mike D’Antoni of the Houston Rockets is 69. Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans is 65, to name a few.
Alvin Gentry reacted to that, claiming it would be unfair if they’re left out of games.
“At the end of the day, they’re the league. They’re going to make the choice,” Gentry said, via ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “I think it’s unfair if that’s what they’re doing. I understand the risk that I’m taking if I do get it. But hell, I want to be with my team and do my job. That’s what they hired me for.”
Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks, who happens to be the president of the coaches association, spoke with Mr. Silver, clarifying that they will work to find a solution to this problem.
“I just spoke to Adam Silver and he admitted that he jumped the gun with his statement to TNT,” Carlisle, 60, said, via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “The health and safety of our coaches is first and foremost. It’s entirely possible that an NBA coach in his 60s or 70s could be healthier than someone in their 30s or 40s. The conversation should never be solely about a person’s age.
“Adam assured me that we would work through this together to help determine what is both safe and fair for all of our coaches.”
Were over a month away until the league makes his return. Time will tell how things develop, but the league needs to take care of the health of its employees. This is a complex situation and they still have time to figure things out before the restart of the campaign next July 31.
