Disney World tops list of NBA hosts

THE Disney World resort in Florida is the front-runner to host a potential resumption of the NBA season, according to a S media report. The city of Orlando, home to the Orlando Magic basketball team, is being considered alongside cities including Las Vegas as the NBA looks to get basketball back up and running, The Athletic reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which has multiple basketball facilities, is located at the Disney complex. It has previously hosted student athlete events for the NCAA and Women’s NBA events.

Play could resume in midJuly, the report said.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is open to the idea of resuming the season without fans and in a “bubble” environment, which would see players, team personnel and game officials avoid contact with the outside world. The NBA suspended operations on March 11 but has not officially cancelled any games. Teams began opening their practice facilities on May for limited workouts and treatment for players under local social distancing guidelines. As of last Friday, players are having 2 percent of their bi-monthly paychecks withheld to account for the possibility that games may be cancelled under the force majeure provision of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.

If the season resumes and is played in its entirety, that money would be returned to players. In a conference call on May , Silver reportedly told players that the league does not have to make a decision to restart or cancel the season until early June.