NBA owners approve bubble-city reboot
The NBA has approved a plan that will send the Kings and 21 other teams to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, for a bubble-city reboot of the 2019-20 season.
The NBA’s Board of Governors voted to approve the league’s proposal Thursday, greenlighting a plan to play out a truncated regular season and a complete postseason following the coronavirus shutdown. All games will be played July 31 through Oct. 12 at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged difficulties facing the league and its players as they prepare to return. In a news release, Silver said the league will remain mindful and vigilant with regard to the coronavirus crisis and nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd, who died in the custody of Minneapolis police.
“The Board’s approval of the restart format is a necessary step toward resuming the NBA season,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “While the COVID-19 pandemic presents formidable challenges, we are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts. We also recognize that as we prepare to resume play, our society is reeling from recent tragedies of racial violence and injustice, and we will continue to work closely with our teams and players to use our collective resources and influence to address these issues in very real and concrete ways.”
The Kings also released a statement following the Board of Governors vote.
“We are pleased the NBA has taken this im
portant next step towards resuming the 2019-20 season in Orlando and eager to return to the court and compete,” the team said. “Health and safety are paramount and we remain in constant communication with the league as they work towards a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place.”
The vote required a three-fourths majority to pass. Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski 29 of the league’s 30 owners voted in favor of the plan. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Portland Trail Blazers were the only team to vote against the 22-team format. The Blazers reportedly preferred a 20-team format.
The contingent of 22 teams will include 13 from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern Conference. The top eight teams in each conference will be joined by all teams that were within six games of the playoffs when the season was suspended after
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11.
The Kings, mired in the NBA’s longest active postseason drought after 13 consecutive losing seasons, will be one of six teams vying for the No. 8 seed in the West. Other teams with an opportunity to earn the eighth seed include the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
Sacramento was entangled in a three-way tie for ninth in the West when the season was suspended. The Kings, Blazers and Pelicans were 3 1/2 games behind the Grizzlies, who had the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA. The Spurs were four games behind the Grizzlies. The Suns were six games back.
Under the plan approved Thursday, all teams will play eight regular-season games followed by a possible play-in tournament for the No. 8 seeds in each conference, according to ESPN. Play-in games will reportedly be played if the ninth-place team in either conference finishes the shortened regular
season within four games of the No. 8 seed. Under that scenario, the ninth-place team will have to beat the eighth-place team twice to secure the No. 8 seed.
Yahoo Sports reported each team will play the next eight opponents it was scheduled to face before the shutdown, noting teams would skip opponents that are not in Orlando in favor of the next available opponent. Under that scenario, the Kings would play the Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Pelicans, Indiana Pacers and Spurs.
That plan would present numerous problems, but it may serve as a basis for formulating the final schedule. Yahoo later reported an algorithm will be used to fill in gaps and imbalances before the schedule is finalized.
The NBA said Thursday “each returning team would play eight seeding games, as selected from its remaining regular-season matchups.” The league said Silver and league executives will be made available to the media next week to discuss additional
details.
The NBA said Thursday “each returning team would play eight seeding games, as selected from its remaining regular-season matchups.”
The 220-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex includes facilities for indoor sports such as basketball and volleyball and outdoor sports such as football, baseball and softball. The complex features an 8,000-seat arena, a 5,000seat field house, a 9,500seat baseball stadium, a baseball quadraplex and a softball diamondplex.
The Arena, described as spacious and flexible, can be configured into four separate spaces to accommodate events of all sizes. The complex has hosted the Jr. NBA Global Championship, the Orlando Invitational college basketball tournament, and boys and girls AAU events.
The league has tentatively scheduled the NBA Draft lottery for Aug. 25. The draft itself will be held Oct. 15, three days after a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Free agency will begin Oct. 18 and the start of the 2020-21 season has tentatively been set for Dec. 1.