Basketball

Teams must follow all appropriate health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

With the NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS all working on plans to play, Cuomo encouraged sports that can be held without fans in attendance to do so if the economics can be worked out. 

"Do it! Do it!" Cuomo said. "We want you up.

"We want people to be able to watch sports. To the extent people are still staying home, it gives people something to do. It's a return to normalcy. 

"So we are working and encouraging all sports teams to start their training camps as soon as possible. And we'll work with them to make sure that can happen.'' 

New York has been the hardest-hit state in the U.S. with roughly 355,000 reported cases and 29,000 deaths due to COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The NBA, like many sports around the world, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has killed almost 24,000 people globally.

It remains to be seen when and if the 2019-20 season will resume, with commissioner Adam Silver unwilling to provide a return date for the league.

If the campaign relaunches, the prospect of games behind closed doors is likely, something three-time NBA champion James is not looking forward to.

"What is the word 'sport' without 'fan'?" James said on the Road Trippin' Podcast. "There's no excitement. There's no crying. There's no joy. There's no back-and-forth.

"That's what also brings out the competitive side of the players, to know that you're going on the road in a hostile environment and yes, you're playing against that opponent in front of you, but you really want to kick the fans' ass too.

"So to get back on the floor, I would love it. I'm not going to sit here and say nothing. Like, if it's get out there and get back on the floor five-on-five... but like, we can do that in scrimmages.

"Let's just go to each other's practice facility, put out a camera, just scrimmage and livestream it.... I just don't know how we can imagine a sporting event without fans. It's just, it's a weird dynamic."

There has been talk of the NBA heading straight into the playoffs if the season resumes but James, whose Lakers were top of the Western Conference with a 49-14 record prior to the postponement, said: "One thing you can't just do is go straight to the playoffs. Because it discredits the 60-plus games that guys had fighting for that position."

After a difficult first season in Los Angeles, James had returned to his brilliant best for the Lakers – the 35-year-old's performances catapulting him into the mix for a fifth MVP award.

At the time of the NBA suspending the league on March 11, James had been averaging 25.7 points, 10.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game.

As such, he is disappointed to lose the rhythm of impressive form he felt was building nicely towards the postseason.

James added: "When you've been building six months of conditioning and preparation and then [it's gone], the narrative that I don't like [is], 'Well, now guys get so much rest' or, like, 'LeBron, he's 35, he's got so many minutes on his body, now he gets so much rest'.

"It's actually the opposite for me because my body, when we stopped playing, was asking me, like, 'What the hell are you doing?'

"My body was like, 'Hey man, what the hell is going on? It's March 13th, you're getting ready for the playoffs, why are you shutting down right now?' And I was right there turning the corner, like, I felt like I was rounding third base, getting ready for the postseason. So the rest factor, I think it's a little bit [overblown]. Especially when you're in the full swing of things."

"Of the 346 players tested for COVID-19 on the NBA campus since test results were last announced on July 13, zero have returned confirmed positive tests," the league said in a statement on Monday.

Last Monday, the league said two players returned positive results out of the 322 samples taken in the first round of tests since players arrived at the bubble the week prior.

The thought process behind creating the bubble at Walt Disney World near Orlando was having players remain inside and not leave to cut down on possible interactions with those on the outside who may have the virus. 

Teams begin scrimmaging on Wednesday, and the season resumes July 30 after being halted on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2019-20 NBA season is set to restart via a 22-team format at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida on July 30 after the campaign was halted due to COVID-19 in March.

Embiid's fitness has always been a topic of discussion and all eyes will be on the three-time All-Star center when the NBA returns following the coronavirus pandemic.

Philadelphia will recommence against Eastern Conference rivals the Indiana Pacers, who share identical 39-26 records to be fifth and sixth respectively, on August 1.

And Brown had high praise for Embiid's training and conditioning midweek.

"Let's start with the respect and applause I give him for putting in time. There is nobody on our team that has put in more time than Joel Embiid," Brown told reporters on Wednesday.

"Forget what he has actually done in the gym for a minute, just go to the man hours and consecutive days and the amount of days he has put in over the past few months. I'm proud of him, I respect him. He needed to do it. We understand the impact he can have on our team."

Embiid had been averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season.

"We've got a three-week runway to deliver him to the regular season," Brown said. "I'm looking for Joel to come in in as good of shape as he's been in since I have coached him.

"I think the three weeks we have together is an inverted sort of luxury we haven't had. I'm excited for Jo to get back into this and show what he has been doing the last few months."

The 76ers – 14 games behind the Eastern Conference and NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) – are also set to be boosted by the return of fellow All-Star Ben Simmons.

Simmons has been sidelined since February due to a back injury, but Brown added: "He's good to go. He's put in a tremendous amount of work for me to be able to confidently say that.

"As you search for silver linings with this pandemic and the way things have shaped up, it would be hard-pressed for me to find something more obvious than this: It's enabled Ben to reclaim his health. He's good to go, and we look forward to watching him with what I'm told is effectively 100 per cent health."

Jokic remains in his native Serbia having reportedly tested positive for coronavirus as the NBA plans to resume after the 2019-20 season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The league is set to return via a 22-team format at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida on July 30, with the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers in action on the first day back.

Denver are scheduled to resume their campaign against the Miami Heat in the Orlando bubble on August 1 and the Nuggets expect Jokic to return to the United States in time.

"Nikola feels great," Malone told reporters via a Zoom call on Wednesday. "We are working on getting him back here.

"Next Tuesday we depart for Orlando; the hope and expectation is that Nikola Jokic will be with us on that plane.

"From everything that I have heard and talked to him, he feels great, he feels fine and is excited to get back."

Prior to the coronavirus crisis, Jokic was averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets were third in the Western Conference with a 43-22 record, behind leaders the Lakers (49-14) and the Clippers (44-20).

Denver, meanwhile, opted to close down their practice facility following COVID-19 cases.

"We have closed down the facility," Malone confirmed. "We felt it was the right thing to do. Today was supposed to be the first day of Phase 3 where all our players were required to be back in the gym and we are allowed to work with them albeit just 1-on-0.

"We have put the safety of our team ahead of this Phase 3. There is a chance we can open the gym up before we leave, depending upon results in the coming days. I am not going to get into who tested but we have had multiple people in our travel party test positive."

Amid the unprecedented situation, Malone feels this season's NBA championship will be the toughest ever contested.

"There has been this ongoing dialogue and conversation that whoever wins it this year, there will be an asterisk by their name and I don't buy that at all," Malone later added.

"If you are able to go into a bubble and be isolated from your friends and family, to have no home-court advantage, to have a league interruption of four months and you are able to spend 90 days and come out of there a champion, I think this will be the toughest championship ever won. There is no asterisk."

The NBA season is set to resume on July 30 after the 2019-20 campaign was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Orlando's Disney World complex will host 22 teams, with LeBron James' Lakers headlining the league's comeback against rivals the Los Angeles Clippers on July 30 after the New Orleans Pelicans face the Utah Jazz on the same day.

The Lakers topped the Western Conference with a 49-14 record prior to the COVID-19 crisis.

"I think Orlando itself is going to be as much of a mental test as it is a physical test just because of the extraordinary circumstances there," Pelinka said on a video conference call on Tuesday.

"I think a team like ours, that has such a strong togetherness component, will have an advantage at that part. This team of guys love being together and love playing together. I think that's the significant part of the [first] 63 games."

Pelinka, whose Lakers will be without Avery Bradley after he opted out of the restart, added: "We have put a ton of thought into the mental part of this journey. It is going to be as much as a physical grind as it's going to be a mental grind.

"And I think the mental component might even be more paramount. And so, yes... we have mental wellness people on staff here and we've been working with them on developing a protocol to address some of the concerns that are going to come up from an extended time away from family or an extended time living in a city that's not your home."

The Lakers had gone 8-2 after the All-Star break, with James and team-mate Anthony Davis leading the way for the storied Los Angeles franchise, who have not won a championship since 2010.

"I think that we're in a unique situation where we've had such a strong chemistry, such a strong team chemistry, that I think that platform is going to be seamless in terms of guys jumping on and being part of that identity and chemistry that we already had formed," Pelinka said.

"I don't see that changing at all with the new additions, just because it's such a strong identity."

In his first season with the Pacers after arriving from the Milwaukee Bucks, the 27-year-old is averaging 16.3 points and a team-high 7.1 assists in 48 games. 

"I recently tested positive for the Covid virus and am currently in quarantine," he said in a statement.

"I'm doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my team-mates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and playoffs." 

Brogdon was poised to play upon the season's resumption having recovered from leg and hip injuries that sidelined him for Indiana's final three games before the NBA season was halted.

The Pacers (39-26) were in control of the Eastern Conference's fifth seed when the season went on pause on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They will be one of the 22 NBA teams set for the restart at the bubble at Walt Disney World in July.

The Pelicans said in a statement that star rookie Williamson, the Pelicans' second-leading scorer at 23.6 points per game, plans to rejoin the team for the restart of the NBA season at a later date but did not offer any specifics. 

'We fully support Zion's decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family," the Pelicans' vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said. 

"Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time."

Whether Williamson will miss any games remains to be determined. Per NBA protocols, he will be required to quarantine between two to four days once he returns to Orlando provided he is tested daily for coronavirus during his time away. Failure to undergo daily testing would require a quarantine period of at least seven days. 

New Orleans are scheduled to return to play July 30 against the Utah Jazz.

The number one overall pick of the 2019 draft missed New Orleans' first 44 games while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but has made a significant impact upon returning from the injury. 

The Pelicans were 17-27 and in 12th place in the Western Conference when Williamson made his delayed debut on January 22 and the team has gone 10-9 with the former Duke standout in the line-up.

New Orleans enter the restart in 10th place in the West, three and a half games behind eighth-place Memphis.

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.

And Booker received the $100,000 cheque to donate to charity after taking down Ayton in the best-of-three final on Saturday.

Booker – seeded fifth for the tournament – won game one 72-62 using the Houston Rockets against Ayton's Los Angeles Lakers.

In game two, Booker selected the Denver Nuggets and triumphed 74-62 over the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Undefeated tournament. Thanks to 2K for putting this on. Lots of good competition out here," Booker said afterwards. 

Earlier in the day, Booker had beaten Clippers star Montrezl Harrell in the first semi-final clash.

Meanwhile, Ayton – the 10th seed – upstaged Clippers guard Patrick Beverley to set up an all-Suns decider.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the postponement of Tokyo 2020 on Tuesday amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's Games were scheduled to get underway on July 24, but the spread of coronavirus has wreaked havoc across the globe.

However, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said San Antonio Spurs coach Popovich remains committed.

"The commitments everyone made for 2020 are still there; we're all-in and we're committed," Colangelo told ESPN.

"It's important to deal with the unknowns and this virus. This too shall pass, and we'll be back for everyone's well-being."

The rescheduling of the Olympics could impact the NBA, which is already on hiatus.

"We will follow the leader. We have to wait to see how everything is laid out and we'll make the adjustment," Colangelo said. "Our players are NBA players first, let's face that."

Colangelo added: "Changing the window for the NBA is easier said than done. There's a lot of logistics and contracts to deal with. Same for the Olympics. You have to assume it will be around the same dates."

Globally, more than 18,800 people have died from coronavirus, with over 421,360 confirmed cases.

The NBA season is set to resume on July 30 after the 2019-20 campaign was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March.

Orlando's Disney World complex will host 22 teams, with the Los Angeles Lakers headlining the league's comeback against rivals the Los Angeles Clippers on July 30 after the New Orleans Pelicans face the Utah Jazz on the same day.

Defending champions the Raptors – second in the Eastern Conference and trailing the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) with a 46-18 record – will restart their season against the Lakers on August 1.

Raptors star Ibaka said his team-mates are ready to return, telling reporters via a conference call on Saturday: "I saw just how everyone is in great shape. 

"They came here in great shape and as soon as we got here everyone was starting to put in work.

"I've been in the league for 11 years. You can see when people's locked in and they are ready mentally, and when they are not.

"So I can tell you right now, mentally, everybody is ready. Everybody is ready."

Ibaka, who helped the Raptors win their first championship last season, added: "It's been a little bit weird [this season] with everything that's going on. But one thing we know is that it's over.

"Whatever happened last season is over, and we've got to try to put our mindset so that it's ready to go for this one.

"We know it's going to be hard, it's going to be a challenge, and everyone is going to come for us because we are the champs, so we have to be ready."

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old center admitted he is worried about the rising number of coronavirus cases in Florida.

"Honestly it's really concerning," he said. "Hopefully everybody has to follow the rules, every player, when we get in the bubble in Orlando, we can respect all the notes that they're going to give us.

"But I have my daughter who lives here in Orlando, and it's kind of scary a little bit. It's something where you have to make sure you look at it."

The NBA has been suspended since March 11 due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has killed at least 184,200 people worldwide.

It remains to be seen when, and if, the 2019-20 season will resume as the United States struggles to contain the outbreak following more than 848,900 confirmed cases and over 47,600 deaths in the country.

The NBA, which is committed to completing the campaign, is reportedly exploring the possibility of holding the entire playoffs in one location – Las Vegas. There has been talk the league could head straight into the playoffs if the season resumes.

VanVleet, who won the championship with the Raptors last term, is braced for the season not resuming.

"I think everybody is just preparing for the worst-case scenario, the season being cancelled," VanVleet said during a conference call on Wednesday. "We have to do what we have to do to try to shoulder the hit as best we can for us as players and owners and the league, while also working to try to resume as best we can."

"I could play anywhere," VanVleet continued. "Do I want to play in front of no people? No, but does it really matter? At this point, I don't think anybody is going to have a quarrel with what happens, as long as people's health is first and foremost, which we know it probably won't be."

"If our league is going to be a leader in terms of public health and public safety and player safety, you've got to follow the guidelines of what the virus is speaking to you, so the odds are probably against us in terms of that," VanVleet added. "But money, right? So, I think they'll find a way somehow, some way and try to make it happen. I could definitely see it going either way. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't come back and I wouldn't be surprised if we do come back."

VanVleet was set to become a free agent at the end of the season and the 26-year-old guard added: "I think the league and the union will try to do a good job to make sure that the free agents this summer get a fair shake and there's fair negotiating. Obviously, we'll probably all take a hit at some point, and hopefully the hit is just kind of minimised to this year.

"I think people's health and wellbeing, and frame of mind, is a lot more important than a couple of million here or there, because we're filthy rich compared to what we came from in the first place. So I don't think anybody's crying over it."

The NBA, halted since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, is set to resume at the end of next month as a 22-team tournament that will take place near Orlando, Florida. 

Various measures are being implemented to protect players and reduce the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak, with teams to remain on the site where practices and games will take place.

Last week NBA commissioner Adam Silver had suggested those protocols could extend to keeping older personnel - like 69-year-old Rockets coach D'Antoni - off the bench during games because of their greater vulnerability to contracting the virus and developing complications.

However, Silver has since backtracked on those comments, with Morey noting there would have been pushback from Houston.

"Mike will be coaching our team," he said in quotes published on ESPN.

"It would be such a huge disadvantage to lose him. We would never stand for that.

"In fairness to the league, they set up a process whereby everyone will have to submit a medical record. I'm sure the doctors told them that some people over a certain age shouldn't go.

"But Mike is in great health. He's in better shape than some 40-year-old coaches we have. Besides, I think his dad lived to be 108 or something."

D'Antoni, whose Houston team have a 40-24 record in the Western Conference and have already secured a playoff berth, does not believe he will be kept away from the sidelines because of his age.

"I guess they were thinking it could affect us a little bit more because of our age, but we would catch it at the same rate as any player would," he said.

"If it's not safe for us, then it's not safe for them.

"I know the NBA is going to make it as safe as possible for everyone involved. But there's no such thing as zero risk. I'm not worried about it because I don't think [preventing older coaches from interacting with their players on the bench] will happen.

"I know Adam talked about that on TNT, but since then he's walked it back pretty quick. I think he got a little ahead of himself."

The 2019-20 NBA campaign has been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 as NBA commissioner Adam Silver considers various options.

Fertitta met with United States president Donald Trump at the White House on Monday and when asked what would happen with basketball, the former said: "I think what they're doing is waiting to see what happens in certain states and if we're going to be able to play.

"Making sure the virus continues to go in the right direction in the next few weeks. And I think that if things are going in the way that it's going, I think the NBA, the commissioner Adam Silver, who has done an unbelievable job through this, and the 30 owners will make the decision to try to start the season up again."

After being asked by Trump if the season would be finished or not, Fertitta replied: "I think that there's talk about finishing the season playing X number of games.

"The players need to play to get paid, and right now they're taking a 25 per cent pay cut. They own 50 per cent of our revenue, unlike the other sports. And so they want that revenue, even if it's not the people-in-the-stands revenue, so they can get paid."

There has been talk that the NBA could head straight into the playoffs if the season resumes.

"I think that we would play some games just to get it going again and create interest and then go right into the playoffs," Fertitta said. "But I think it'll be great for America. We're all missing sports and everybody wants to see these great NBA teams."

Gobert updated fans in a Twitter post where he asked followers if any of them had experienced similar symptoms.

Last week, Frenchman Gobert – the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 - said he is "feeling a little better every single day" as he deals with the disease.

But in recent days he has had to cope with additional symptoms.

"Just to give you guys an update, loss of smell and taste is definitely one of the symptoms," he wrote.

"I haven't been able to smell anything for the last four days. Anyone experiencing the same thing?"

Gobert had confirmed his positive test on March 12 following the postponement of Utah's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The NBA was promptly suspended indefinitely in the aftermath of the diagnosis, with team-mate Donovan Mitchell also testing positive.

Amid the pandemic, Gobert admitted he should have taken the issue more seriously prior to his test.

The 27-year-old had mocked measures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus, including touching reporters' microphones.

Gobert asked people to learn from his mistakes and take the outbreak more seriously. He donated $500,000 to part-time employees of the Utah Jazz and coronavirus-related services.

Ten NBA players have been confirmed as having coronavirus, including the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant.

The NBA suspended the league on March 11 after a Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19 moments before Utah were due to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

All-Stars Gobert and Mitchell both subsequently confirmed they had coronavirus, with all Jazz players in either quarantine or isolation since the Thunder game was scrapped.

Now, having served the recommended 14-day period of isolation, all players and staff have been cleared by the Utah Department of Health as they are no longer considered at risk of passing the virus on.

A statement from the Jazz read: "Fourteen days after being tested for COVID-19, all Utah Jazz players and staff have completed their respective periods of isolation and quarantine and have been cleared by the Utah Department of Health [UDOH].

"The UDOH has determined that all Jazz players and staff, including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, no longer pose a risk of infection to others."

The Jazz added that players would continue to observe social-distancing and only leave their homes for necessary trips.

Shortly after his team's statement, guard Mitchell posted a gif of a child dancing on a chair.

Earlier this week Gobert, who has donated more than $500,000 to part-time employees of the Jazz and coronavirus-related services, said a loss of smell and taste were two of the symptoms he had suffered from.

The NBA season reminds suspended indefinitely, with the United States having nearly 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, more than any other country.

Nurses at the intensive care and COVID units at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital were treated to meals from Los Angeles restaurant The Nice Guy.

Westbrook was born in Long Beach, California and played college basketball at UCLA before entering the NBA in 2008.

The 31-year-old, who was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2019-20 season, has gone on to be named to nine All-Star Games and was voted the 2017 NBA MVP while with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Alongside an Instagram photo with the meals and nurses, Westbrook wrote: "Last night I helped provide meals to the nurses in the ICU & COVID Units at my hometown hospital, MLK Community Hospital.

"Extremely humbling to be able to do this and we appreciate all your hard work during this time. Thank you for all that you do!"

There have been over 1.6million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, where more than 97,000 people have died.

Westbrook will join up with his team-mates for the resumption of the NBA season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida after a period of self-isolation. 

"I tested positive for COVID-19 prior to my team's departure to Orlando," he wrote in a statement posted on social media. 

"I'm currently feeling well, quarantined, and looking forward to re-joining my team-mates when I am cleared. 

"Thank you for the well wishes and continued support. Please take this virus seriously. Be safe. Mask up!" 

The league was suspended on March 11 amid the coronavirus pandemic but will continue from July 30 at its bubble site near Orlando, with all players being tested before travelling. 

Players returned to team facilities in June and were tested for COVID-19, with Nikola Jokic, DeAndre Jordan, Malcolm Brogdon and Jabari Parker among those to have contracted the virus. 

Figures released by the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) on July 2 said 25 of the 351 players tested between June 23-29 had returned positive results. It added that of the 884 staff members checked, there were 10 confirmed coronavirus cases. 

The Rockets will resume their campaign against the Dallas Mavericks on July 31.

Westbrook was averaging 27.5 points, 7.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds for Houston - who acquired the 31-year-old via a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder last year - when the season was halted.

Silver suspended the NBA last week due to COVID-19, with Utah Jazz pair Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell the first players to contract the virus.

On March 12, Silver said the 2019-20 season would not resume for at least 30 days. Since then, Kevin Durant and three other Brooklyn Nets players tested positive for coronavirus, while the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart and a pair of Los Angeles Lakers players also contracted COVID-19.

With the world struggling to contain the virus, there are widespread financial concerns and Silver – who is unsure when and if the season will return – said: "It's too soon to tell what the economic impact will be.

"We've been analysing multiple scenarios on a daily if not hourly basis and we'll continue to review the financial implications.

"Obviously, it's not a pretty picture but everyone, regardless of what industry they work in, is in the same boat."

Silver added: "We're exploring all options to resume our season if and when it is safe to do so. Nothing is off the table.

"Our focus right now is doing all that we can to support, engage and educate the general public in response to this pandemic.

"We are also making sure that we are prepared to resume the season if and when it becomes safe for all concerned."

The 2019-20 NBA season is set to return via a 22-team format at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida on July 30 after the campaign was halted due to COVID-19 in March.

However, there are concerns after Brooklyn Nets pair DeAndre Jordan and Spencer Dinwiddie tested positive for coronavirus – the duo will sit out the team's campaign.

"Never full steam ahead no matter what," Silver told TIME 100 Talks when asked if the league does not go ahead. "One thing we are learning about this virus is much [is] unpredictable, and we and our players together with their union look at the data on a daily basis.

"If there were something to change that was outside of the scope of what we are playing for, certainly we would revisit our plans.

"We are testing daily. We haven't put a precise number on it, but if we were to see a large number of cases and see spread in our community, that would of course be a cause to stop as well."

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are scheduled to face the Utah Jazz in the first game back on July 30, with LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers also in action against the Los Angeles Clippers on the same day.

Silver added: "We are going to see as we go. Certainly if cases are isolated, that's one thing. A lot of the determination will be our understanding of how our community became infected. That will be part of our judgment in terms of whether we should continue. But certainly if we had a lot of cases, we are going to stop. You cannot run from this virus.

"I am absolutely convinced that it will be safer on this campus than off this campus because there aren't many situations that I am aware of where there is mass testing of asymptomatic employees.

"In some ways, this is maybe a model for how other industries can ultimately open. But I am only going to say we will be responsible and watch what is happening, but the biggest indicator will be if we begin to see a spread in our community."