NBA, NBPA discussing 'return-to-play strategies' during Tuesday call: report

NBPA president Chris Paul reportedly has backing from stars like LeBron James to return to the court

5/12/2020, 10:30 PM
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The NBA and NBPA will be creating a group to discuss "return-to-play strategies" during a call on Tuesday, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Among the group is NBPA president Chris Paul as well as prominent players like Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry, Jayson Tatum and Dwight Powell. 

But that's not all. According to Yahoo! Sports Chris Haynes, Paul previously arranged a call with stars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry to create a "united front" to resume the season. They all agreed that with the right safety precautions, the league should return to play. 

 

With Haynes saying that unified decision will hold some power, that could be what Paul is presenting to the league. Most players want to finish out the season and crown a champion, but there are some -- not in the playoff picture -- that are hesitant to finish things out. The new CBA could be affected by a canceled season, though. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed a few topics about the resumption of the league this past Friday, with the most prominent piece of news being that he couldn't guarantee the safety of the players at the moment due to the coronavirus. A decision on resuming the season, according to Charania, may not be made until June. And if/when it does resume, it won't be with any fans. 

Also, there is the option that teams could converge on one or two arenas so as to not play in all different arenas across the country. 

As for the economic impact that this virus has had on all sports leagues, Silver said that 40 percent of the league's revenue comes from fans, so there will be massive losses that have already been occurring. 

But this call on Tuesday is supposed to be a step in the right direction, and with Paul speaking for the rest of the players -- who reportedly are backing the decision to get the league back up and running whenever possible -- more clarity on the situation will hopefully arise soon. 

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