Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Miami-Dade mayor clears a return
Players can go back to AmericanAirlines Arena on May 8
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Friday the Miami Heat have clearance to return to AmericanAirlines Arena for workouts on the NBA’s May 8 timetable, going as far as saying county rules already would allow the entire team to be together in the gym.
Speaking to South Florida radio personality Andy Slater, the host of a show on Fox Sports 640, Gimenez spoke optimistically about a return of South Florida sports as restrictions are lifted amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
The NBA last week put in place a plan that would allow teams to open training facilities as soon as May 8, where allowed by local governance, to work out players under significant limitations, including no more than four players in the arena at the same time, each working only in individual sessions, after testing and amid social distancing.
Gimenez cited that MiamiDade already is allowing up to three players at a time to shoot independently at park baskets. The Heat have seven baskets at their practice facility at AmericanAirlines Arena.
“Right now, the Miami Heat, if they’re willing to work out their players individually, they can do that,” Gimenez said, “because we opened up our parks on Wednesday. You can have up to three people in a half-court, each with their own ball.
“Well, there you go. So the Miami Heat can probably get all their players in their facility.”
The Heat currently have 17 players under contract, including two on two-way contracts.
“They can get it done,” Gimenez said. “We can allow that as long as you maintain the same rules as one ball — nobody touches somebody else’s ball. Yeah, you can get that done.”
The NBA has been idle since the Heat’s March 11 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Of Gov. Ron DeSantis saying he could envision fans at Florida sporting events possibly as early as June or July, Gimenez said he is hopeful.
“It’s a possibility, yeah, absolutely,” Gimenez said. “We think that there may be, when you have social distancing.
“You may not be able to have 65,000 people in Hard Rock [Stadium], but [you] could have a limited number of people in Hard Rock, a limited number of entrances [and] make sure they’re separated by a certain amount. Could you have then wearing mask and all that? That could be safe.
“We’d certainly love to make sure that we don’t miss out on the rest of baseball season and football season, and maybe, hopefully, end up the basketball season. Basketball’s a little different. The arena is enclosed, and all that. But outdoor venues may be a little simpler and easier to do, so I wouldn’t say no to it. I think that is something I would like to work toward, see if we can get that done.”
Gimenez said he envisions the possibility of a return of South Florida sports.
“I’ve had conversations with the Dolphins, about plans and how could they get back and start to work, and all that,” he said. “If you have a set number of people, if they’re not out and about in the community and you could put them somewhere and segregate ’em, I think you could make a case that, ‘Hey, those folks have been isolated and quarantined basically for 14 days. There’s no symptoms. Nobody has anything.’
“I think you can make a case that they can go ahead and play against each other.”