Subscribe
Follow Us
On March 11, 2020, Adam Silver became a pioneer of sorts — the first commissioner of a major sports league to put a halt on its season. It only stands to reason he continues that precedent by taking the gut-wrenching but necessary decision to cancel the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season.
It's now been nearly two months since the regular season came to a screeching halt after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Silver knew the moment the first player tested positive, he would have to pull the plug. To his credit, he did.
While other leagues like the English Premier League refused to shut down operations even after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus, Silver did the brave but responsible thing by postponing the NBA season.
Adam Silver risked being villainized and scrutinized by sports-thirsty fans across the globe, but he knew the postponement was the reasonable way to go. Now that eight weeks have passed since then, it is his time to make another gut-check call and pull the plug for good.
Owners, executives, and members of the National Basketball Players Association have been tirelessly angling for any and every potential way to crown a champion and not let the season go to waste. Yet whether it is this “bubble city” concept of playing in Las Vegas, Orlando, or any fantasy island to keep players and staff safe from the coronavirus, it would take arduous weeks of planning and the ultimate trust that teams would comply to a tee.
The prospect of it is too ambitious, too risky, and too different to ensure all involved would be pleased with the outcome — all for the sake of recouping all that money that's been left on the table.
Recent reports that executives and agents have pushed the prospect of canceling the season swirled on Thursday, only to be categorically denied by LeBron James — a player with great influence and connections but no role within the NBPA now that his four-year term has expired.
An angry James took to Twitter refuting that report, expressing the same sense of commitment to completing the campaign one way or another. James is purely speaking from an athlete's point of view and that's understandable, but choosing to speak for the bunch is a discredit to a well-substantiated report.
Saw some reports about execs and agents wanting to cancel season??? That’s absolutely not true. Nobody I know saying anything like that. As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season. I’m ready and our team is ready. Nobody should be canceling anything. 👑
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 30, 2020
Bron like ‘WHOA WHOA WHOA, CANCEL WHAT? MY TEAM WAS WINNING’ lol salute
— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) April 30, 2020
But the reality is that people can't be patient forever and after nearly two months of hearing no clear direction as to how the NBA plans to proceed, suits are better off throwing in the towel and preparing for the next season. That prospect is much more palpable than going along with whatever plan the NBA deems the right one after flirting with multiple potential scenarios to bring some finality to the 2019-20 season.
Take for example Korea and Japan, who have already canceled their respective basketball seasons in March, while the Chinese Basketball Association has been dealing with a long hiatus since Jan. 19. The CBA tried to resume play in April but has since encountered a series of roadblocks from the Chinese government, who's deemed the nation is not completely out of the water just yet.
Korea and Japan attempted to resume play, but Japan only lasted two days before shutting it down for good. Korea planned to reinstate play and backed out at the last minute.
Perhaps a more likely comparison is Ligue 1; France's top-tier soccer league, which put an end to its regular season and crowned Paris Saint-Germain; the team with the best record, as its champion. Ligue 1 was the first of the five major European soccer leagues to put a bow on its season, despite making massive amounts of revenue from games. Serie A; Italy's top-flight soccer league, has heavily pondered the idea of canceling their season.
The Eredivisie; the Dutch premier soccer league, also wrapped up its season, but did not award the championship to leaders Ajax and canceled the promotion of second-tier teams and the relegation of first-tier.
Leagues around the world are quickly noticing that the pandemic state of this virus renders them too helpless to continue. The NBA is going to great lengths to secure the bag and salvage any possible amount of revenue for its owners and players, but this is simply one opponent Adam Silver can't beat.
Teams like James' Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks will have a surefire issue with the cancelation of the season, considering both teams held the top spot in their respective conferences. Yet perspective is still required in this instance.
Unforeseeable events like the outbreak of this pandemic should leave a hole in history.
World War II notably saw the 1940 and 1944 Olympics canceled, as London had to wait four more years to host the event. Helsinki waited more 12 years, initially scheduled to host in 1940 Games and bounced to get the nod four years after London, who was set to host in 1944.
Disasters happen and it's only natural that sports will suffer because of it.
While the 2019-20 season will be forever marked with an asterisk due to this halt, the league is better off leaving this season without a conclusion while focusing on the future.
No champion needs to be named and no playoffs need to take place, despite how big of an obligation the NBA feels it owes its fans.
Instead, the league is better off looking at what they can do to make the following season a successful one. The safety of players, staff, and the fans should come before any product the league has to offer. After all, it is the first commandment for every business — to keep its patrons and employees safe.
Potentially starting the 2020-21 season in December and finishing in August could be one that changes the scope of “basketball season” forever, but one that offers the league almost no competition besides the NFL playoffs.
Former President John F. Kennedy once said:
“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognize the opportunity.”
That should serve as guidance for commissioner Adam Silver, who has a tough but necessary decision to make in the wake of this pandemic. The NBA might hurt at first by canceling this season, but better days will be ahead if Silver and company use this idle time to make changes that can further improve the league's future — a golden opportunity.
