Why Disney’s the happiest place for NBA
The NBA is exhausting all of its options to restart the season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and all indications are pointing to a restart at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando.
The resort is a 39-square mile private property that would in essence create a bubble for the NBA and its 30 teams to live and operate out of. While the specifics of what the season will look like if and when it returns — be it a play-in tournament, regular-season games or a jump straight to the playoffs — it appears any NBA action will be taking place out of central Florida.
There’s a good reason for it: Disney World is home to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, or EWWS, which contains space the NBA can use to build weight rooms and treatment facilities. It houses two full basketball facilities, one of which is the HP Fieldhouse, which hosts the AdvoCare Invitational annual college basketball tournament every November.
More importantly, EWWS includes the Visa Center, which can be set up for either six full basketball courts or a stadium with just one full court. If the NBA is to resume, some games will have to be played concurrently. The Visa Center allows the league to do just that.
Both courts are also already fully configured with a broadcast setup, so airing games on national television shouldn’t be a heavy lift.
This year alone, EWWS was scheduled to host both girls and boys AAU basketball tournaments; the Small Fry basketball tournament for kids under age 12; the Jr. NBA Global Championship for the top 32 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls across the world; and the Orlando Invitational which annually hosts some of the best college basketball programs across the country.
The facility is capable of hosting professional basketball.
It is also capable of housing NBA players and personnel. There are two hotels in close proximity to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, including the Art of Animation Resort and the Pop Century Resort. Together, the two comprise approximately 4,900 rooms and feature both food and beverage locations — as well as swimming pools.
There are still hurdles to climb. The NBA is still in talks with several entities regarding coronavirus testing, and a recent report from The Athletic suggests players are resistant to taking the full nasal swab test. If the NBA is going to create a bubble, it needs to ensure its bubble is free of coronavirus-positive members.
The NBA recently surveyed its general managers regarding the season’s resumption. NBA commissioner Adam Silver also held a phone call with those GMs on Thursday, according to The Athletic, where they discussed a two-week training camp in a team’s respective market, followed by a training camp in Orlando.