NBA Players and Owners Trust Adam Silver to Bring Back League

Silver seemed more prepared for the onslaught of the pandemic than the White House

Adam Silver Claims China Wanted Daryl Morey Fired for Hong Kong Tweet
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the TIME 100 Health Summit. (Brian Ach/Getty Images for TIME)
Getty Images for TIME 100 Health

As the coronavirus was just starting to wreak havoc in the U.S. in mid-March, NBA commissioner Adam Silver made the decision to shut down his business even as the White House was playing down the seriousness of the threat from COVID-19.

Now, more than two months later, the NBA remains closed even though other sports like golf, auto racing and soccer have found a way to resume play to some degree. Thanks to Silver being at the forefront of shutting down his sport — and sports in general — NBA players and owners are comfortable with the commissioner making the call about when and how the league should resume play.

The NBA’s stars and billionaire owners trust Silver to lead the league’s revival and are giving him “full room to operate, govern and make the decision on resuming play amid a pandemic,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “No power grabs, no factions, no public criticisms on the commissioner’s judgment.”

Silver has already warned players, who will be docked 25 percent of their pay starting today, that there may be a financial strain approaching the NBA which could impact guaranteed contracts, free agency and the gap between big- and small-market teams. So much of that depends on if/when fans will be allowed to return to arenas and how many tickets teams will be able to sell while still following proper safety protocols.

At this point, that’s the biggest question facing the NBA, but the league’s players and owners trust Silver and his team to answer it.

“As the NBA creeps closer to a return, Silver has the support of the constituencies needed to salvage the playoffs and declare a champion,” according to Wojnarowski. “Even so, this virus moves fast, destroys plans and makes everyone and everything adjust to it.”

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