NBA won't consider season resuming sooner than May 1, Adam Silver says

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The NBA won’t consider resuming its season any sooner than May 1 amid the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, commissioner Adam Silver said Monday.

"We should accept that at least for the month of April we won't be in any position to make any decisions," Silver told Turner Sports’ Ernie Johnson in a Twitter interview Monday (via Sports Illustrated).

Silver was one of the North American sports executives on a weekend call with President Donald Trump, who reportedly said that the NFL season should start in September. The NBA commissioner said sports leagues would “love to lead the way in restarting the economy” when public health officials say it is OK to resume play, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter reported Saturday.

"Beyond crowning a champion, what would the symbolism be of sports starting back up in this country?" Silver told Johnson on Monday.

The NBA was the first North American professional sports league to suspend its season when Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus on March 11. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended days later that all gatherings of at least 50 people should be canceled through early May. Most state governments have issued stay-at-home orders since then, with all but “essential” businesses remaining open and enforcing social-distancing guidelines.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Warriors star Steph Curry nearly two weeks ago that the curve of the coronavirus’ spread would need to “come down” and no longer strain the country's medical system before leagues could consider playing. There are over 360,000 confirmed cases in the United States and over 10,000 people have died as of this writing nationwide, according to NBC News reporting.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, following Trump’s reported hopes, said that he “didn’t anticipate” NFL games with fans in the stands this fall. The state, home of the Warriors, Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, also has more NBA teams than any other.

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