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UPDATE: March 19, 1:54 p.m. — The NBA announced Thursday the plan to shut down all team training facilities in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus. The League is urging players to take aggressive measures to ensure they don’t get infected.
Teams were informed today in a memo about facilities closing --with players being encouraged to take aggressive measures to continue to avoid contact with others and remain home as much as possible. https://t.co/3OedPb4qFt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 19, 2020
The NBA held a call with the Board of Governors on Tuesday and the owners were given a pretty blunt message on when the League will resume play. Ex-surgeon general Vivek Murthy gave the owners hope the season will be back before July. So that’s right in line with the start in the middle of June we were expecting. It’s still a very long layover due to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.
Sources: The ex-US surgeon general Vivek Murthy delivered NBA Board of Governors call a message consistent with other credible health organizations on grim potential impact of coronavirus pandemic in U.S., but left owners with hope of re-starting season/playoffs before July.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 17, 2020
Here’s some additional insight from The Athletic’s Shams Charania:
Sources: Dr. Vivek Murthy, former US Surgeon general, told NBA owners today about coronavirus: If the United States had not hardened its stance across country, millions were at risk to die — and cases will likely only increase, like they did in Italy, over the next 2-to-3 months. https://t.co/KcTyYqVxtk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 17, 2020