NBA Season interrupted Covid-19 Omicron variant
Despite the current outbreak, NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains optimistic to avoid a season pause. According to ESPN, 12 NBA teams have faced outbreaks with losing five or more players to health and safety protocols. Three head coaches have entered the protocols, and nine games have been postponed. A total of 140 players entered into protocol this season, with 123 in December alone. Still, Silver has no plans of pausing the season at this point and hopes the NBA will deal with this variant.
“Frankly, we're having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now, as look through these cases literally ripping through the country right now, putting aside the rest of the world, I think we're finding ourselves where we sort of knew we were going to get to for the past several months.” - Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner)
With limited star presence, the NBA could suffer a big blow. Kevin Durant, Trey Young, Luka Doncic, and Anthony Davis are all sidelined against the omicron surge.As the omicron variant continues to decimate NBA rosters, The NBA and NBPA have announced amended replacement rules to prevent a season halt. The short-term solution allows each team to sign one replacement player for every player that tests positive or enters protocols.
Commissioner Adam Silver has no Plans to pause season
In a recent interview with ESPN, Adam Silver shared upcoming contingency plans. The league's race to outlast the omicron surge will come at the expense of eradicating the Covid-19 virus. Unfortunately, this variant is here to stay and NBA has executed contingency plans heading into the new year. Silver told ESPN that a small percentage of the league's cases involve players and coaches that have gone through the three-shoot process. Currently, the NBA has a 97% vaccination rate, and the NBPA aims to increase the rate of boosted players to a 60% threshold. According to Athletic, the NBA and NBPA are in the works to allow players to return faster to preserve the NBA season. Once approved, the NBA will allow players back from health and safety protocols after six days based on testing cycle thresholds. This implication of these new rules may impose as a quick fix for the NBA when looking in retrospect. Silver’s billion-dollar empire will continue running its battle against the Covid-19 surge.