The National Basketball Players Association’s imprimatur on the resumption of the 2019–20 season was to be expected. With heads of the union kept in the loop through every step of, and actually included in, the decision-making process, getting the ranks to agree on the general proposition didn’t require any arm twisting. Certainly, the collegial approach adopted by commissioner Adam Silver helped in no small measure; for as long as all and sundry can remember, he views those with a stake in the principal product as partners and not adversaries. Accordingly, the trust he has built over time is precisely what they remember when he puts forth radical ideas; they understand from the get-go that collective interests are being forwarded.
Nonetheless, there remains much to be discussed. The date and venue may be set; fans are already looking forward to seeing marquee names in active competition late next month at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Most other things are not, however. How big of a staff will teams be allowed to bring in? When will players have to be at the site? Will family members be allowed? What is the magnitude of the testing required? And what happens if one individual in the bubble is found to be positive of the novel coronavirus?
All these and plenty more items will be subjects of discussion — and even contentious back and forth — between the league and union representatives. Baselines have to be set, after which not inconsiderable give and take will be negotiated. And amid all the tumult caused by both the pandemic and the civil unrest it has placed front and center, questioning the validity of pushing through with a sporting spectacle is far from unreasonable. The flipside, of course, is that livelihoods and lives are likewise at stake. The NBA is a billion-dollar enterprise on which countless quarters rely, hence the profound interest in restarting the season.
A less considered reason that is likewise crucial to the well-being of even those from the outside looking in: The NBA is obliged to come up with a semblance of normalcy in these trying times. There can be no underestimating the value and importance of its proceedings to the physical and mental fitness of all those involved, directly or otherwise. The benefits are thus equally tangible and manifest. Which is why extraordinary efforts are being made to get the 2019–20 campaign going anew. It’s not just the desire for the league to crown a champion. It’s the need for all else make the trip.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
