NBA could be back by May — Mavs’ Cuban

DETROIT PISTONS forward Christian Wood in action.

DALLAS MAVERICKS owner Mark Cuban said he's hopeful the National Basketball Association can resume playing games on TV, without crowds, by May.

“America needs sports right now. We need something to cheer for. We need something to get excited about. We need a team to root for, and I think the NBA can fill that need,” he told Neil Cavuto of FOX Business on Wednesday.

The NBA has indefinitely suspended its regular season amid the current pandemic, and at least 10 active players have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mr. Cuban told the Dallas Morning News he thinks the

NBA will be the first professional league in the US to bounce back.

“I’m proud of the NBA and the way we’ve reacted,” he said. “We’ve led the way and hopefully will lead the way out of this. No one has perfect information right now, so all decisions are tough, but if I had to guess based off the people I’ve talked to at the CDC and other places, I would say that the over-under [for the league’s return] would be June 1 and I'm taking the under.

“... Hopefully by the middle of May we’re starting to get back to normal and the NBA is playing games, maybe not with fans, but we’re playing games.”

Meanwhile, Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood is healthy after a bout with the coronavirus, his agent said Wednesday.

Adam Pensack told the Detroit Free Press that Wood is “feeling great and fully recovered.”

Wood’s positive test for COVID-19 was reported on March 14.

There are 10 confirmed positive tests for COVID-19 among NBA players, but only five of those players have been identified: Wood, Rudy Gobert, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, Utah AllStar Donovan Mitchell and the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart. —