NBA in talks to play in Florida

The NBA is in talks with the Walt Disney Company on a singlesite scenario for a resumption of play in central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the site would be used not only for games but for practices and housing as well.

“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and

government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” Bass said.

The sports complex is a 255acre campus with multiple arenas that could host games simultaneously and has been home to, among other things, the Jr. NBA World Championship in recent years. ESPN is primarily owned by Disney, one of the NBA’s broadcast partners.

Space won’t be an issue, even if Major League Soccer — which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney — is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms. Legal matters: Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested Friday on a domestic battery charge in Palm Desert, according to booking information provided by the Riverside County Sheriff ’s Department.

Leaf, 44, who has a history of legal trouble and served time in prison on burglary and drug charges, was being held on $5,000 bail.

Leaf finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 1997 and led Washington State to the Rose Bowl. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers as the No. 2 pick in 1998, but had a disappointing NFL career.

Last July, Leaf was hired by ESPN to be a football analyst. Leaf worked for the Pac12 Network last season and has been cohosting a show on SiriusXM’s Pac12 channel. NFL: Linebacker Anthony Chickillo agreed to a oneyear deal with the New Orleans Saints after playing the past five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Soccer: Lionel Messi’s Barcelona and the rest of the Spanish league can resume play as soon as June 8 . ... In the Bundesliga, leader Bayern Munich routed Eintracht Frankfurt 52 while secondplace Borussia Dortmund won 20 at Wolfsburg. Also, Bayer Leverkusen beat Borussia Monchengladbach 31 in a match that had Champions League qualifying implications.