Basketball

Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the board of the governors for the Hall, said on ESPN on Wednesday that the original dates of enshrinement weekend, August 28-30, and the proposed alternate dates of October 10-12, are "just not feasible" in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The board of governors will convene on June 10, he said, to explore the exact dates for next year.

"We're definitely cancelling," Colangelo said. "It's going to have to be the first quarter of next year. We'll meet in a couple weeks and look at the options of how and when and where."

The 2020 class is headlined by Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant and also includes former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings, Baylor women's coach Kim Mulkey, Bentley College women's coach Barbara Stevens, former FIBA and IOC executive Patrick Baumann, and former college coach Eddie Sutton, who died on Saturday. 

Though both the 2020 and 2021 events will now take place in the same calendar year, Colangelo said there will be separate ceremonies for each class.

"We won't be combining them," he said. "The class of 2020 is a very special class and deserves its own celebration."

"Sporting events, pro sports in that first week or so of June without spectators and modifications and very prescriptive conditions also can begin to move forward … if we hold these trend lines in the next number of weeks," Newsom said during a press conference on Monday. 

Newsom said California, which was the first U.S. state to issue a stay-at-home order on March 19, is allowing more counties to accelerate their re-opening process. 

However, he said not all areas are in the same position and specifically mentioned the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County – home to many professional sports teams – as ones that may not be ready to move forward just yet. 

"They can move at their own pace based upon their own local conditions," Newsom said. 

COVID-19 has claimed almost 8,000 lives from more than 198,000 global cases, with China and Italy the hardest hit.

Sport has been disrupted amid the pandemic – the NBA among a number of professional leagues on hiatus after the likes of Kevin Durant, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell contracted coronavirus.

Love, who donated $100,000 to the Cavaliers arena and support staff following the NBA suspension, shared a message as the world fights against the virus.

"I know we're going through some tough times right now," the 2016 champion and five-time All-Star said in a video shared by the NBA. "People are having to navigate stress, anxiety, the unknown… this is every day. Every day is presenting a new challenge and not knowing what the future holds is tough.

"When you see people fall on hardships or going through hardships, it's normal to feel this way. Now more than ever, we have to practice compassion. We have to be mindful of our actions, really practice a sense of community. That's really the biggest thing. We've seen the NBA community step up and we've seen people step up through all sports and beyond. It's great to see it and we need more of it.

"People want to feel part of something bigger as well as on the winning side of history. Human beings are resilient, we will get through this but in the meantime, we need to practice empathy, compassion.  Just know that our actions speak volumes in this time. There's a lot of people going through it and have it worse than we do.

"While most of us are having to socially distance, don't socially isolate. There's so many ways to reach out… nothing unites us like the same enemy. It's very powerful what we're able to do when we put our minds to it. Continue to pay it forward in any way that you can.

"Be mindful of people's physical but also their emotional health through this super anxiety-ridden and stressful time because we don't know what the future holds. We don't know what the next day holds but all we can hope for is we're going to do this together and come out on top."

The 2019-20 NBA campaign has been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has wreaked havoc globally – pushing the Olympic Games and Euro 2020 back a year.

At the time of postponement, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) owned the best record in the league, ahead of LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers (49-14), the Toronto Raptors (46-18) and Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers (44-20).

It remains to be seen when, and if, the season will resume but Thompson said on Thursday: "Guys want to play."

The Cavaliers are an Eastern Conference-worst 19-46 and will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.  

Thompson, who is eligible for free agency after this season, was on a conference call last week with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and one of his biggest takeaways was that players – especially the ones with a chance to win a title – are eager to get back on the court as soon as possible. 

"They're trying to win a championship, so I understand where they're coming from and they know everybody wants to see basketball," Thompson – a 2016 NBA champion with the Cavaliers – said from Los Angeles.  

"Everybody wants to watch the playoffs. I want to watch the playoffs, with my friends, you know cheering and going crazy.

"But the main concern is just how do we do it in a way where everyone's at peace when they go to work."

Smart received his positive test for COVID-19 on March 20, but announced good news on Sunday.

The 26-year-old wrote on Twitter: "Corona free as of two days ago. Cleared by Mass [Massachusetts] Dept of Health.

"Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers and I'm doing the same for everyone that's been affected by this.

"Stay safe and stay together – apart! Much love!"

There have been more than 722,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide, leading to over 33,900 deaths.

The United States have reported the most cases of any country – more than 142,000 – with over 2,400 deaths.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc globally, leading to the indefinite suspension of the 2019-20 NBA campaign in March, while the NHL and MLS seasons have also come to a halt – the start of the MLB term has been delayed, too.

It remains to be seen when, and if, the season will restart as NBA commissioner Adam Silver weighs up various options, including the league returning via two locations – Orlando and Las Vegas.

As the league tries to resume, Coles told Stats Perform: "There's lots of desire for the league to come back and there's lots of really intelligent people working their hardest to see if there's an opportunity for that to happen. Whether it does happen or not, it's not something I can comment on.

"We're working on the assumption that we will come back and if we don't, we will be better prepared when we go next time."

The coronavirus outbreak has proven challenging for teams, athletes and staff – NBA practice facilities have only started to re-open this month after the league had targeted no earlier than May 8 for franchises to return to their complexes.

Former San Antonio Spurs high-performance manager and Liverpool's ex-head of physical therapy Coles said: "We were in Milwaukee overnight waiting for a game when the news came through that the league was going to be suspended. We flew back that next day on our private plane and everyone has been completely isolated from each other ever since that point in time.

"There's been a lot of challenges as to how to communicate with each other, amongst the staff and players. We've overcome those as best we can and there's been some opportunities for us to spend time reviewing what we're doing – reviewing our processes and trying to improve for when we eventually get back and moving forward."

The Celtics (43-21) were playing well prior to the postponement – third in a crammed Eastern Conference, behind the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) and defending champions the Toronto Raptors (46-18).

"It's obviously frustrating but it's the same situation for everybody," Coles said. "We were having a very good season and when we come back, we will have to start again and try to get back to where we were. But we're in exactly the same boat as everyone else, so we have the same opportunity as we had then, and we will have the same opportunity when we come back."

Jayson Tatum had been at the forefront of Boston's impressive season, the All-Star averaging 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Celtics to establish himself as one of the best players in the league.

"It's always great to see young players continue to improve," Australian Coles, who was handpicked to join Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio, added. "Like all great players, they have that mix of talent, drive and work ethic. He is a good example of that but there's lots of examples. It's a young squad in general and there's lots of good young players who work really hard and are all progressing.

"I'm new here, so I can't say I've followed his progression as closely as some of the other staff. But everyone in the club and in the city who supports the club are excited to see the development is there and see him really blossom into a superstar."

Amid uncertainty around the league, how long would it take for players to be ready to return to action?

Oklahoma City Thunder star Chris Paul has previously said players would require at least four weeks of training to get into shape.

Coles added: "It will vary from individual to individual. Again, it's something the league and the players association will consider closely. It's something where everyone will be in the same boat. From our perspective, we will do the best we can with the timeframe we're given.

"What an ideal timeframe is, it's hard to say. It would be very individual. Some players would be in great shape and ready to go and others will need some more time to build up. And depending on what their role is in the team and the structure for if and when we come back, it will be different. Everyone is in the same boat, so I don't know that there needs to be an ideal timeframe, it just needs to be something that everyone is agreed upon."

An announcement by the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) on Thursday confirmed a game of HORSE involving eight players and legends from the two leagues will begin on April 12 and be televised.

The challenge, which will be headlined by 10-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Tamika Catchings.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce complete the line-up.

Each of the contestants will take part in isolation from their home courts.

Young and Billups will battle for the right to face the victor of a meeting between Catchings and Conley for a place in the semi-finals. LaVine must take on Pierce, with Paul up against Quigley on the other side of the draw.

The semi-finals and the championship game will take place on April 16.

State Farm is sponsoring the competition and will donate over $200,000 on behalf of the competitors.

The league has granted teams in cities that have loosened their social distancing and stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic to open, and any training at those venues would be strictly voluntary. 

"No one is being pressured to do anything," Bickerstaff said on a conference call on Wednesday. "It's not mandatory for [the players] to show up." 

For the players that do report to the complex, they will have several rules set by the NBA to adhere to.

No more than four players will be allowed at the facility at one time, there can be only one player per basket and players and coaches must remain 12 feet apart. Players will not have to wear masks and gloves, but everyone else present must. 

"The league is in information gathering mode right now," Bickerstaff said. "Their goal is to not put themselves in a bind and not start too early." 

When the NBA postponed the season on March 11, Cleveland were in last place in the Eastern Conference at 19-46.

The Cavs, however, were showing signs of turning things around, going 5-6 after Bickerstaff took over following the resignation of John Beilein in mid-February. 

Bickerstaff said the players are eager to get back on the court and return to some sort of normality.

"They're hopeful," he said of the players. "That's what these guys do. When you get used to being part of a pack, that's where you're comfortable and want to be." 

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc globally, suspending the NBA and NHL seasons, while delaying the start of the 2020 MLB campaign.

The United States has been the hardest country hit, with more than 1.4 million confirmed cases and over 83,400 deaths.

But on Tuesday, Arizona governor Doug Ducey opened the door for sport to return to the state, albeit behind closed doors.

"We have had discussions with leaders with some of these leagues, and they all know they are welcome to operate, play and perform in the state of Arizona," Ducey said.

"It would be, at this point in time, according to the CDC guidelines, without fans. We could do that safely in the state of Arizona beginning May 16."

In a boost for MLB franchise the Diamondbacks, president Derrick Hall said in a statement: "I was pleased to hear the governor's comments on the state's willingness to allow sporting events in a controlled environment.

"We have been in constant communication and he has consistently shown cooperation and support to us and league leadership. Both he and I have made it clear we are more than willing to be part of a solution if there is a need for us to host more teams or games."

In a statement to the Arizona Republic, NFL team the Arizona Cardinals said: "We would still need the NFL to green-light the return to team facilities and resume activities."

Meanwhile, the NHL's Arizona Coyotes said: "We are aware of governor Ducey's announcement and will await direction from the NHL."

The NBA hopes to restart the 2019-20 season at Walt Disney World Resort via a 22-team format in Orlando after the campaign was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Players are reportedly divided about the season resuming amid the COVID-19 crisis and unrest in the United States, where there have been nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

Commissioner Adam Silver admitted the league's planned resumption "may not be for everyone" but he is confident player concerns will be addressed.

Kyrie Irving and Dwight Howard are among those to have questioned whether the league should return amid the Black Lives Matter protests, and Portland Trail Blazers guard Lillard understands their point of view.

"I don't feel 100 per cent, but it's a risk that I'm willing to take," Lillard said to ESPN about playing when the NBA returns.

"This is what we do. This is our job and this is how we take care of our families. And also this is my way of providing for communities, impacting in my community. 

"So, to play the game I love, to resume the season, I guess this is a risk that I'm willing to take.

"With the pandemic that we've been in over the course of a few months, I think basketball would have been or will be great for that. 

"It will be us getting back to somewhat normalcy, of having our athletes on TV playing and doing what we do.

"But I think as far as the racial injustice, I think that is where a lot of the struggle is for a lot of athletes. 

"Our league is made up of so many African-American players and a lot of our hearts are with our people, our minds are with our people and we feel like we should be a part of that fight.

"That is what the struggle is. That's what you hear in a lot of guys coming out saying maybe we should be focused on that instead of worrying about going back in and jumping into this season.

"I can only speak for myself, but I think it goes for other guys as well, we are the financial support for our families and for a lot of our community.

"We bring a lot of that financial responsibility to support black businesses and black communities. So it makes a lot of sense for us from that standpoint.

"But a lot of guys in the league have a point. I think Kyrie and Dwight have a point. You know, so I understand it all."

Five-time All Star Lillard conceded it would be a strange feeling to return after all that has happened over the past few months.

"It's something that none of us have experienced in our lifetime," he said. 

"I mean, the world literally shut down - I don't know if that's ever happened or when was the last time it did, if it has happened. But I think it'll be difficult, to say the least, because a lot of our hearts are with our people.

"So that's hard to go out there and be your best self, or the best version of yourself as an athlete, when something isn't sitting right with you personally. 

"That's something that's not just going to go away. So we're not sure how it's gonna go. But we're gonna see when we get there."

The 27-year-old had been enjoying a breakout season, averaging career bests of 20.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds while playing in all 64 games before the campaign was halted due to the global pandemic. 

"After another positive test yesterday and considering the symptoms, BrooklynNets, team doctors and I have decided that it would be in the best interest for me and the team that I do not play in Orlando,” Dinwiddie tweeted Tuesday.

"I will be supporting the guys every step of the way!"

With Kevin Durant missing the entire 2019-20 season due to a torn Achilles tendon and injuries limiting Kyrie Irving to just 20 games, Dinwiddie had been carrying the Nets, leading the team in scoring in 35 games and in assists in 43. 

The Nets (30-34) owned a half-game lead over the eighth-place Orlando Magic when the season was paused in mid-March.

However, they will now be without Dinwiddie, Durant, Irving, DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler when the season restarts at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex outside of Orlando. 

With the NBA postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic, a charity tournament has been put together to raise money in support of COVID-19 relief efforts.

Winner of the single-elimination Xbox One tournament will receive $100,000 to give to charity, but Durant was a high-profile casualty on the opening day.

In the first matchup, two-time NBA champion Durant used the Los Angeles Clippers but lost to 16th seed and Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones' Milwaukee Bucks topped Durant's Clippers 78-62 to advance to the quarter-finals.

The tournament, aired on ESPN, will run through to April 11.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc globally, with more than one million confirmed cases and over 58,800 deaths.

Sport has also been brought to a standstill amid the coronavirus pandemic – the NBA among the leagues on hiatus around the world.

76ers All-Star Embiid, along with managing partner Josh Harris and co-managing partner David Blitzer made a significant contribution to the funding campaign for COVID-19 antibody testing of frontline healthcare workers, identifying those with potential immunity.

"During this pandemic, many doctors and nurses are working like soldiers on the front lines of a war and they need to be provided with as much armour as possible in this battle," Embiid said.

"COVID-19 antibody testing can help Philadelphia health care workers at this critical time, and we need to do everything possible to help those heroes who are putting their lives at risk to help us."

Harris added: "The only way for us to get through this terrible global crisis is to ensure a safe work environment for health care professionals and ultimately find a treatment for COVID-19. We are very proud to partner with the incredible team at Penn Medicine, who are tirelessly working towards this by identifying immunity in our brave doctors and nurses.

"Joel has been a leader in highlighting the urgent need for this kind of testing—David and I thank him for his leadership in this area and are excited to join forces with him. Our medical workers are on the frontlines of this crisis, have been hit hardest by it and need all the help and support we can give them. We have rough days ahead, but with collective action like this, together we will make it through."

University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann said: "We are enormously grateful to Joel Embiid, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer for stepping up in a time of great need with forward-thinking philanthropy—helping us to understand COVID-19 through the lens of precision medicine.

"We will take this new and powerful knowledge about how our bodies react to the virus and use it to protect our healthcare heroes, sharing these lessons with the City of Philadelphia and across the world."

The campaign was still in its regular-season stage when the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to be suspended in March.

Five teams had already secured play-off places after 28 of the scheduled 34 rounds of games, with three more berths up for grabs.

Anadolu Efes Istanbul sat top of the standings, ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona, with CSKA Moscow fourth and Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in fifth place.

However, the EuroLeague Commercial Assets (ECA) executive board declared the season over, announcing the 2020-21 EuroLeague will start on October 1.

It said "every possible option" had been explored before reaching that decision, also announcing the cancellation of the EuroCup campaign.

Given the spread of COVID-19, its degrees of evolution, and the differing ways in which its spread is being controlled within Europe, the ECA said there were "no guarantees" teams would be able to travel to games.

The ECA added in a statement: "In keeping with our continued values of sports integrity and fairness, the executive board decided not to recognise any team as the champion for the 2019-20 EuroLeague, nor the EuroCup."

Euroleague Basketball president and chief executive Jordi Bertomeu said: "Without a doubt, this is the most difficult decision we have had to take in our 20-year history.

"Obviously, we had many motivations to resume the 2019-20 season, but in such an exceptional situation, we have to put people's health first and ahead of any other interest: our players, our coaches, our referees, our clubs, their staff, our league staff, our broadcasters, and all of their families. By doing so, we stay true to our beliefs and what we stand for."

Arizona governor Doug Ducey opened the door for sport to return to the state without fans on Saturday following the COVID-19 outbreak, which has wreaked havoc globally.

The NBA, NHL and MLS seasons have been postponed, while the start of the 2020 MLB campaign has been delayed.

But Florida's Ron DeSantis became the second governor to clear the way for sport to resume on Wednesday.

"All these professional sports are going to be welcomed in Florida," DeSantis said in a news conference midweek. "That may not be the case in every other state in this country, as we've seen.

"So what I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won't let them operate, we'll find a place for you here in the state of Florida. Because we think it's important and we know that it can be done safely."

The United States has been the hardest country hit, with more than 1.4 million confirmed cases and over 85,000 deaths.

Last week's UFC 249 event was held behind closed doors in Jacksonville, Florida, while WrestleMania 36 took place in Orlando.

"Our people are starved to have some of this back in their lives," DeSantis said Wednesday. "It's an important part of people's lives."

The Nets said each player was in isolation and anybody who may have made contact with any of the quartet was being notified.

The names of the players were not released.

In a statement released to media, the Nets said: "Four Brooklyn Nets players have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Of the four, one player is exhibiting symptoms while three are asymptomatic. All four players are presently isolated and under the care of team physicians.

"The organisation is currently notifying anyone who has had known contact with the players, including recent opponents, and is working closely with state and local health authorities on reporting.

"All players and members of the Nets travel party are being asked to remain isolated, closely monitor their health and maintain constant communication with team medical staff.  The health of our players and staff is of the highest priority to the organisation and the team is doing everything within its power to ensure that those affected receive the best care possible.

"As always, we appreciate the support of our fans, partners and surrounding community, and we wish all those who are battling this virus a speedy recovery."

The NBA is suspended, along with most sport leagues globally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nets were last in action on March 10 when they earned a 104-102 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

The NBA was put on hold on Wednesday after Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the Utah Jazz's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Gobert's team-mate Donovan Mitchell has since confirmed he has contracted the virus, while the NCAA has cancelled March Madness in response to the pandemic.

On Thursday, Cleveland Cavaliers' Love pledged $100,000 to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse support staff, who would be impacted by the suspension.

Antetokounmpo has now followed suit, donating the same amount to staff at the Bucks' Fiserv Forum home.

"It's bigger than basketball! And during this tough time I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my team-mates' lives easier," Antetokounmpo said in a Twitter post. 

"Me and my family pledge to donate $100,000 to the Fiserv Forum staff. We can get through this together!"

On Friday, president Donald Trump officially declared a national emergency in the United States, where there have been just under 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

All-Star Jazz duo Gobert and Mitchell contracted COVID-19 last month, prompting the NBA to suspend the season on March 11, and both have since recovered.

Gobert's careless behaviour prior to testing positive for coronavirus reportedly angered guard Mitchell – the Jazz center apologising after mocking the measures in place to prevent the virus from spreading by jokingly touching reporters' microphones when leaving a news conference before the postponement in March.

Addressing rumours of friction with Mitchell, Gobert said via Instagram Live: "It's true that we didn't speak for a while after this, but we spoke a few days ago.

"We're both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team."

Gobert added: "It's not about being unprofessional. You know, everyone has got different relationships -- it's never perfect.

"People that are married, it's never perfect. So you know, me and my team-mates, it's far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing -- and it's winning.

"We're both grown men, and we both are going to do what it takes to win."

"There's no fight," Gobert continued. "It's all about thousands of people are dying every day, and it's all about what we can do to help, what we can do to bring some positive. That's what my focus is on now."

The COVID-19 crisis forced the 2019-20 NBA campaign to be postponed in March, but the league is set to resume at Walt Disney Resort near Orlando, Florida in July.

The NBA has confirmed plans for 22 teams to relaunch the season, with a tentative resumption date of July 31.

Atlanta (20-47) will not travel to Walt Disney Resort as Young and the Hawks were second from bottom in the Eastern Conference and out of the playoff picture at the time of the postponement.

"I was mad," Young told reporters on a video call on Wednesday. "I was frustrated. Obviously I wanted to play. I understand what the NBA did and respect their decision. But I am kind of upset because I want to play."

All-Star Young added: "I was just itching to play. I have been wanting to play. That was actually one of the first times I touched a ball in a long time.

"I wanted to make sure it was safe for me to even go and play. It has been a long time for me – like, I don't know when the last time I've spent three months without playing a game."

The Utah Jazz center had mocked the measures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus, including touching reporters' microphones earlier this week.

However, Gobert later tested positive for COVID-19, as he confirmed on Thursday, the day after the NBA had suspended the season following the postponement of Utah's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Frenchman posted a video via the NBA's social media accounts on Sunday to offer an update on his own health, as well as a message to others to stay safe amid the global pandemic.

"Hey, what up everyone, it's Rudy Gobert. I just wanted to give you guys an update," he said.

"I'm going to start by saying thank you to all the people who have been supportive and for all the positive energy – it really means a lot.

"As for myself, I have been feeling a little better every single day thanks to the healthcare people at Utah and Oklahoma City and all the great people around me.

"As you may already know I’m just wanting to make sure to remind you guys to keep washing your hands frequently with soap and water, try to avoid touching your face, your nose, your eyes, and of course try to avoid making unnecessary contact with people.

"It's all about protecting yourself and the people around you.

"I wish I would have took this thing more seriously and I hope everyone else will do so because we can do it together. Take care and stay safe."

Gobert previously announced he has donated $500,000 to part-time employees of the Utah Jazz and coronavirus-related services.