Toronto Raptors: 4 takeaways from Masai Ujiri’s conference call
By Paul Taylor
2) When will the NBA return to action?
At this moment in time, essentially every scenario you can think of is on the table. Whether NBA fans want to hear it or not, this includes potentially cancelling the 2019-20 season altogether.
We’re not saying this will happen, but everyone has to be prepared for this eventuality, especially if the impact of COVID-19 lasts longer than projected. (And let’s be honest, the goalposts for this are constantly shifting.)
Ujiri understandably wants the 2019-20 season to resume, but appreciates what is transpiring is much bigger than the NBA and professional sports in general. As reported by NBA.com, he said:
"“I’m hoping. That’s all of our hope…the way we salvage the NBA season is by abiding by the rules and doing everything we have to do as people, as a community, everything we possibly can. This is not about the NBA, it’s about the whole world. “This is global… We can plan the NBA all we want but something is going to stall that if we’re not playing by the rules.”"
While there is nothing to suggest Ujiri was taking a shot at anyone, this still alludes to the repeated stories of people all around North America (and the world) not observing isolation and/or social distancing where necessary. The longer people don’t take the guidance and rules seriously, the longer we will all have to contend with no sports.