Another death of a black man in police custody has angered people around the NBA, including Lakers star LeBron James. A video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling atop the neck of a man named George Floyd who later died circulated through news and social media circles. James weighed in on Instagram, posting a still…
LeBron James, other Lakers express frustration on social media over death of George Floyd — Daily News
As the NHL on Tuesday announced its plan to scrap the regular season and delve right into a 24-team postseason, the NBA hasn’t gotten as far with its comeback in regards to return-to-play formats. The league surveyed its GMs to get a feel for how each team feels, but some players are taking it upon…
Damian Lillard Won’t Play In NBA Return If Blazers Don’t Have Playoff Shot — NESN.com
As the NHL on Tuesday announced its plan to scrap the regular season and delve right into a 24-team postseason, the NBA hasn’t gotten as far with its comeback in regards to return-to-play formats. The league surveyed its GMs to get a feel for how each team feels, but some players are taking it upon themselves to publicly voice their opinions too. Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, for example, on Tuesday made it known that if the NBA doesn’t return with a structure that gives his team a shot at the playoffs, he won’t participate. “If we come back and they’re just like, ‘We’re adding a few games to finish the regular season,’ and they’re throwing us out there for meaningless games and we don’t have a true opportunity to get into the playoffs, I’m going to be with my team because I’m a part of the team,” Lillard told Yahoo Sports. “But I’m not going to be participating. I’m telling you that right now. And you can put that in there.” It makes sense that he wouldn’t want to risk injury, or the chance of getting sick, for meaningless basketball. The Blazers currently sit at No. 9 in the Western Conference, 3.5 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot currently inhabited by the Memphis Grizzlies. “If we come back and I don’t have an opportunity to make the playoffs, I will show up to work, I’ll be at practice and I’ll be with my team. I’m going to do all that and then I’m going to be sitting right on that bench during the games,” Lillard said. “If they come back and say it’s something like a tournament, play-in style, between the No. 7 and No. 12 seeds, if we’re playing for playoff spots, then I think that’s perfect.” There is no return format that will please everyone while still putting safety concerns at highest priority, but until it nails those logistics down, no other big decisions can really be made. We’ll see what the league comes up with.
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/05/damian-lillard-wont-play-in-nba-return-if-blazers-dont-have-playoff-shot/
This comes after Gov. Phil Murphy announced today that professional sports teams can begin practicing and resume competition in New Jersey.
Philadelphia 76ers To Begin ‘Phased Reopening For Voluntary, Individual Workouts’ At Camden Complex — CBS Philly
Georgetown basketball coach and former NBA great Patrick Ewing has been released from the hospital and is recovering from COVID-19 at home, his son said Monday.
Ewing out of hospital after being treated for COVID-19 — 8News
Last week on the Hoops Adjacent podcast, hosted by David Aldridge and Wosny Lambre, Dallas Maverick coach Rick Carlisle voiced his optimism that the NBA season would resume this summer: It just feels like things are moving in what I would characterize as a ‘generally good direction’, in terms of our ability to test, control […]
“We’re going to find a way to make this work”: Rick Carlisle is optimistic about this season and the future of the NBA — e Things To Do
Dwyane Wade has been impressed by how R.J. Barrett has handled the spotlight playing in New York City.
Canadian Connection: RJ Barrett cherished playing against Jamal Murray — The Rookie Wire
Chicago Bulls winger Horace Grant lambasted Michael Jordan after the mini-documentary aired The Last Dance dedicated to this legendary club and broadcast on Netflix. Horace Grant, winner of three NBA titles with Michael Jordan on the basketball team, criticized “the lies” told by the basketball legend in what he does not consider to be a […]
Michael Jordan criticized for “lying” comments in “The Last Dance” — Archyde
The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic. The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games…
NBA in talks with Disney to resume season in Orlando — Press Telegram
It appears that the majority of NBA players want the season to resume sooner than later, but not all of them feel that way. The longer the (…)
James Harden not comfortable playing in games until pandemic has ‘calmed all the way down’ — The Sports Daily
It appears that the majority of NBA players want the season to resume sooner than later, but not all of them feel that way.
The longer the layoff goes, the more difficult it will be for players to just “flip the switch” and get back into game shape. It could be even more difficult for veteran players, as they’re not really built to transition back and forth so quickly. Younger players, however, are more suited to react to change on the fly, with their bodies cooperating, and responding well.
But not everyone is prioritizing time before everyone else, apparently.
Rockets superstar James Harden doesn’t want to play games until the coronavirus has “calmed all the way down,” which he told CNBC’s Jabari Young.
“I want it to be safe,” said Harden when asked about returning. “I want it to be entertaining for the fans and players to get out there and compete. As soon as we can get this ramped up, I’m ready to go. I feel like the majority of the players feel the same way.
He did add that he isn’t comfortable playing until the pandemic has “calmed all the way down,” and we commend Harden for putting the safety of himself and others before money. However, that may not happen until 2021, when there’s a vaccine, so by that logic, the NBA would need to cancel the 2019-20 season for Harden to feel comfortable. SHARE TWEET EMAIL
At least four teams are asking the NBA to have players travel directly to the league’s proposed “campus” site to resume training rather than having them first come to the clubs’ home cities, ESPN reported Friday. The NBA reportedly is looking at using one or a few venues to house multiple teams ahead of a […]
Raptors among some NBA teams that want to go straight to ‘bubble’: report — Canoe
At least four teams are asking the NBA to have players travel directly to the league’s proposed “campus” site to resume training rather than having them first come to the clubs’ home cities, ESPN reported Friday.
The NBA reportedly is looking at using one or a few venues to house multiple teams ahead of a resumption of play amid the coronavirus pandemic. Orlando and Las Vegas have been mentioned prominently as candidates to host teams in a bubble-like environment in which all players and staffers would receive regular COVID-19 tests.
At issue is the plan for teams whose areas have been hard hit by the pandemic.
According to ESPN, as part of a Thursday call with NBA general managers, the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors were among the teams who stated their desire to avoid having players come back to their usual team training sites.
In theory, some players might need a quarantine period of up to 14 days before they would begin training at team facilities. They then might be subject to another quarantine stretch when the team heads to the site where it would resume games.
Per the report, the NBA general managers discussed multiple restart options on Thursday. Continuing the regular season with all 30 teams ahead of the playoffs reportedly remains a possibility, as is a revised playoff format with a play-in round expanding the postseason field.
The New York Times’ Marc Stein tweeted Friday that the NBA is also leaning toward limiting teams’ traveling parties to the “campus” environment to a total of 35 players, coaches and staffers. Typical NBA road-trip parties feature more than 50 people.
The NBA suspended its season March 11 when Utah Jazz All-Star centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Teams have played between 63 and 67 games in the 82-game regular
The Boston Celtics still haven’t been able to open their facilities due to Massachusetts regulations, and a few other teams in markets hit hard by the coronavirus are in the same boat. Meanwhile, players around the country are getting back into their buildings for voluntary workouts, and the NBA is hoping to have teams practicing…
NBA Rumors: Celtics Asking To Report Straight To Campus Site For Return — NESN.com
The view from left field 